Governor Gavin Newsom trashes Ron DeSantis in campaign ad urging Florida residents to ‘join us in California’

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California governor Gavin Newsom is looking to tweak a potential future presidential rival with an ad calling for Floridians to move to the Golden State.

The 30-second television advertisement will air starting Monday in Florida, and takes aim at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ culture war-fuelled policies that have made him a darling among Republican activists.

"Freedom, it’s under attack in your state. Republican leaders, they’re banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors," says Mr Newsom in a voiceover narration accompanying images of Mr DeSantis and former president Donald Trump.

He continues: "I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight. Or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom – freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate and the freedom to love”.

The new advertisement is an indication that Mr Newsom, a former lieutenant governor and San Francisco mayor, is looking to raise his national profile after successfully defeating a GOP-led recall effort in October.

Mr DeSantis is also considered to be a future presential contender, and is widely reported to be mulling a 2024 campaign.