‘What a farce:’ DeSantis blasts Florida Republican Party over debate controversy

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has criticized the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) after the group reportedly announced it would not be holding a gubernatorial debate at its “Sunshine State Showdown” event this month.

Per the RPOF, the event is slated for Saturday, June 27, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, where Republican candidates are expected to debate policy ahead of the general election later this year.

However, the party decided not to hold the gubernatorial debate after only one candidate — U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds — managed to meet the requirements for polls and fundraising, according to Politico.

The other GOP candidates competing with Donalds include Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former state House Speaker Paul Renner, and investment firm CEO James Fishback.

[RELATED: Waffle House bans Florida governor candidate from all restaurants in the state]

During a conference on a new fraud initiative last week, though, DeSantis claimed that there should be debate.

“They said they were going to do a debate,” DeSantis said. “They didn’t put out the criteria publicly. I don’t think the RPOF ever voted on any type of criteria. I’ve heard secondhand what the criteria was — I wouldn’t have qualified when I ran in ‘18!”

As such, DeSantis indicated that the party may be trying to “engineer an outcome,” especially in what may be a “tough cycle” for Republicans this year.

“Having an open process and having people be able to have their say than to try to engineer an outcome,” DeSantis continued. “So what the party should be doing is doing what’s in the best interest of Republican voters. You shouldn’t have another agenda.”

The RPOF also announced it would withdraw an invitation to candidate Fishback, claiming he joined an “unsanctioned debate in violation of Party rules.”

That said, Fishback revealed that he and Renner agreed to appear on live CBS News debate in Jacksonville on July 15.

News 6 has reached out to CBS affiliate Action News Jax, which confirmed that a debate would happen on July 15. However, no additional details have yet been provided about who will attend.