TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Democratic candidate for Florida governor Andrew Gillum isn't a big fan of Donald Trump, but he said during a televised debate that he'd gladly work with the president to bring money to the state for needed projects. "That's just not the way it works," said his opponent Ron DeSantis, who won the Republican nomination based on Trump's endorsement. It was one in a series of testy exchanges during Sunday night's first debate between Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor, and DeSantis, who resigned his seat in the U.S. House to focus on the governor's race. The two scuffled on the economy, race, and, of course, Trump, who came up when moderator Jake Tapper asked DeSantis if he thought Trump was a good role model for children. The question was based in part on a DeSantis primary ad featuring one of his children stacking toy blocks as DeSantis exclaimed, "Build the wall!" DeSantis responded by saying he thought Trump did the right thing by moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. "I know Andrew didn't support that and doesn't think that's right," DeSantis said. Gillum looked at Tapper and said, "I'm confused by the question." "The question was whether or not he thinks President Trump is a good role model for the children of Florida," Tapper said. "That's what I thought," Gillum said, drawing laughter from the audience. "No, he's not. Donald Trump is weak, and he performs as all weak people do. They become bullies, and Mr. DeSantis is his acolyte. He's trying out to be the Trump apprentice. At every turn he's tweeting him." That's when Gillum said that despite his disgust for Trump's behavior, he wouldn't turn down help from the president if it helped Florida. "You need to be able to work with the president," DeSantis said. "Andrew can't do that. He wants to impeach Trump, he's always saying bad things about him ... I think I will be better positioned to advance Florida's priorities because I have a productive relationship with the administration." Gillum said doing what's best for the state shouldn't be about politics, noting that he's worked closely with Republican Gov. Rick Scott in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, which left most of Tallahassee without power. "This is not Russia. You shouldn't have to kiss the ring of the president of the United States for the president to see to the goodwill of the third largest state in all of America," Gillum said. "This is a democracy. We can dissent, we can disagree and where it comes to working together, we can do that too. If you want to look for an example, look at how Rick Scott and I worked with each other in the aftermath of this hurricane." Gillum appeared calm, while DeSantis looked agitated, often shifting his eyes and moving his head from side to side and interrupting his opponent. DeSantis said Gillum would hurt the state's economy by raising the corporate income tax and raising the minimum wage. And he repeatedly said that Tallahassee has the highest crime rate in the state, while Gillum repeatedly defended the city for being at a five-year low in crime. Tapper brought up the fact that DeSantis said Florida voters shouldn't "monkey this up" by electing Gillum as Florida's first black governor and refused to return money from a donor who called President Barack Obama the N-word on Twitter. DeSantis brought up his experience as a Navy officer and his time served in Iraq. "When we're down range in Iraq, it didn't matter your race. We all wore the same uniform, we all had that American flag patch on our arm and that was end of story," he said. "I'll be a governor for all Floridians." Gillum implied that DeSantis has aligned himself with racists through social media and speeches he's made. "The monkey up comment said it all, and he has only continued in the course of his campaign to draw all the attention he can to the color of my skin," Gillum said. "And the truth is, you know what? I'm black. I've been black I'll my life and as far as I know, I'll die black." Voters will decide between Gillum and DeSantis on Nov. 6.<doc-sep>“Every politician for the last 25 years has promised that on the campaign trail. Once in office, they didn’t do it,” DeSantis said. “Donald Trump promised it and he followed through with it. To me, when you give your word and you follow through with it as an elected official, that is the model that we’re supposed to do...To me, that was true leadership.”<doc-sep>Former GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis Ron DeSantisFlorida state senator announces bid for Demings's House seat Hillicon Valley: Huawei to move toward software development in wake of US restrictions | DeSantis signs bill to fine tech companies for banning politicians | Twitter to rollout ticketed Spaces to limited group of users Florida cuts off 0 weekly pandemic unemployment benefits MORE (Fla.) on Sunday dodged a question about whether President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE is “a good role model for the children of Florida," drawing criticism from Democratic opponent Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in their first gubernatorial debate. DeSantis began his answer to the question by defending a viral campaign adin which he showed his support for Trump by teaching his kids to “build the wall” with blocks. “I don’t actually read ‘The Art of the Deal’ to my son, Mason,” he said. This was the moment of the debate for me: @AndrewGillum gives the PERFECT reaction to DeSantis' weird answer about Trump being a role model for kids. Perfect. And hilarious. #FLGovDebate pic.twitter.com/wP608iIxIA — Tommy Christopher (@tommyxtopher) October 22, 2018 DeSantis then quickly pivoted to talking about the president’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. ADVERTISEMENT DeSantis praised Trump for his follow-through on the campaign promise to move the embassy, but still declined to say if he is a good role model for kids. “When you give your word and you follow through with it as an elected official, that is the model that we’re supposed to do,” DeSantis said. “To me, that was true leadership.” Gillum then called DeSantis out for his answer by saying: “I’m confused by the question.” After moderator Jake Tapper repeated it, Gillum drew laughs from the audience with his own response. “That’s what I thought originally, I got confused,” Gillum said. “So, no he’s not! Donald Trump is weak, and he performs as all weak people do: They become bullies.”<doc-sep>
(CNN) — Former GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis and his Democratic challenger in the Florida gubernatorial race, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, offered starkly different takes Sunday on whether President Donald Trump is a good role model for children. At a CNN debate moderated by Jake Tapper, DeSantis, a former member of the House of Representatives and a Trump supporter, was asked if he considered the President a good role model for children in light of a campaign ad that featured him reading Trump’s “The Art of the Deal” to his son. DeSantis wrote the ad off as a joke, saying that the book isn’t necessarily his son’s “cup of tea.” Instead, he said, the President’s fulfillment of a key campaign promise demonstrates his ability to be a good role model. “Every president for 25 years has promised that on the campaign trail,” he said of Trump moving the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. “Once in office, they didn’t do it. Donald Trump promised it, and he followed through with it. And so to me, when you give your word, and you follow through with it as an elected official, that is the model that we’re supposed to do.” “He was right to move the embassy to Jerusalem … to me, that was true leadership,” he told Tapper. Gillum, who has called for the impeachment of Trump, appeared to be amused by the question. “I’m confused by the question,” he said to Tapper with a puzzled face. “The question was whether or not he thinks President Trump is a good role model for the children of Florida.” “Oh, that’s what I thought. Originally I got confused,” he said, laughing along with members of the audience. “So, no, he’s not. Donald Trump is weak. And he performs as all weak people do,” Gillum said. “They become bullies. And Mr. DeSantis is his acolyte. He’s trying out to be the Trump apprentice.” Gillum said that if he were elected, his opinions on the President wouldn’t impact a decision to accept federal funds for the state. DeSantis also said that he would work with Trump if he were elected. “I’m not going to be involved in the Washington food fight anymore. I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt,” he said. “But I think I will be better positioned to advance Florida’s priorities because I have a productive relationship with the administration.”