Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis was widely mocked after The Daily Show hilariously dubbed his "thoughts" over a clip of him being awkward during a commercial break at the fourth Republican debate.
DeSantis was filmed fidgeting, looking around awkwardly, smiling stiffly, and trying—and failing—to make conversation with different people on stage.
It was perfect material for a sly voiceover—and it offered the perfect indictment against a 2024 presidential hopeful who makes consistent headlines for his stilted, even cold, behavior on the national stage.
The voiceover begins:
"Remember Ron, you are normal. You are not weird. You're 5'11'', your suit is soft and your shoes are grown up big boy shoes."
"Listen to music, human music. Good. Check the phone, normal style. Activate conversation mode."
The rest continues this line of thought and ventures into the nonsensical, at one point depicting DeSantis attempting to reassure himself that he is "not a bobblehead with a dry mouth" but "a big boy with a wet mouth."
You can see the video below.
As far as people were concerned, the video successfully underscored how awkward DeSantis is as a candidate and as a human being.
DeSantis has continued to face criticism amid concerns among Republican operatives about his apparent lack of social skills or personality.
According to the New York Times, the governor had to be reminded to maintain eye contact and shake hands during his visit to Iowa, further fueling the perception of a disconnect with everyday people.
DeSantis was widely mocked online over the summer after a Fox News interview he gave sparked immediate comparisons to Homelander, the unstable villain on the Prime Video series The Boys who employs a forced smile and calculated demeanor to shape public perception by proclaiming his excitement for others to meet the "real me."
Similarly, he found himself at the center of social media attention for his facial expressions during August's Republican presidential debate after he appeared to attempt a smile following an applause line, only to either abandon the attempt or struggle to execute it smoothly.
