"If you can let me finish — " New York Rep. Dan Donovan said

"You're already done," Michael Grimm said, laughing.

From there, it did not get any friendlier.

Donovan and Grimm faced off Monday in their first debate this primary season at WABC Radio, where the two Republican candidates sparred for 60 minutes.

Donovan: You are driving around in a Lexus. You don't even have a job.

Grimm: I do consulting. That's a job.

It was an hour chock full of interruptions and insults — an example of how nasty this race has become for two men who were once political allies.


Donovan even admitted to, at one point before this primary contest, discussing a presidential pardon for Grimm with President Trump.

Grimm: You were the one that said you told the president that a Marine was wrongly convicted and needed his help.

Donovan: I was on Air Force One with him and I told him that a fellow Marine, Guy Molinari, was looking to seek a pardon for Michael. And the president asked did Guy Molinari support me? I said no, he was a "Never Trumper."

Donovan: Admit you came to my house.

Grimm: You didn't invite me. I just showed up uninvited? You want anyone to believe that, Dan?

Donovan: You pressed me all day to come so you could tell me you were going to run against me.

Grimm: I texted you once…You were offering pardons because you didn't want me to run against you. Why don't you be a man and admit that?

Donovan: I didn't offer you anything.

Grimm: You offered to help!

Donovan: I gave you the pardon office number.

Gramm: I will let everyone else decide. Danny, you look like a fool right now.

Grimm, the former representative for New York's 11th congressional district, pleaded guilty to one count of tax fraud in late-2014 and served prison time.

Post-debate, Donovan dismissed the pardon issue:

Donovan: The president wasn't interested in this pardon at all….I was doing this as a favor for Guy Molinari when Guy Molinari was my friend, not for Michael Grimm.

Gross: Do you think Grimm should be pardoned?

Donovan: That's up to the president who he wants to pardon.

Clearly, these two are far from allies now. When the debate was over, they did not even shake hands.

"He has not passed one substantive piece of legislation, and that's why he won't be reelected," Grimm said to members of the news media after the debate.

The two candidates will meet one more time: NY1 will host the only live televised debate this Thursday at 7 p.m.