Ron DeSantis becomes the Internet's heel: Florida gov mocked for wearing '4-inch lifts'
MIAMI, FLORIDA: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has recently found himself at the epicenter of a peculiar controversy that has swept through social media like wildfire.
A viral video that surfaced over the weekend depicted DeSantis wearing what appeared to be shoes with concealed lifts, sparking a maelstrom of speculations, jokes, and memes online.
Ron DeSantis' footwear controversy unfolds
The saga began when an eagle-eyed observer raised the possibility that the Florida governor was using secret lifts to augment his height. The clip, shared on X (formerly Twitter), posed a simple question to its viewers: "What do you notice in this video of Ron DeSantis?"
The response was swift and unrelenting. People from all walks of life began to dissect the footage, and many concluded that DeSantis might be donning high-heeled or oversized boots. In the viral video, DeSantis's gait appeared to be somewhat unnatural, which further fueled the rumors of concealed lifts.
What do you notice in this video of Ron DeSantis? pic.twitter.com/V7K8w1WDVO
ā CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) October 29, 2023
Social media users seized upon this, offering their takes on the matter. One user boldly declared, "The 4-inch lift in the boots," while another suggested a new moniker for the governor, "Should we start calling him 4ā Ron?"
The conversation didn't stop at conjecture about DeSantis's alleged footwear choices. Users dissected images and videos of the governor, scrutinizing the creases in his boots. "Where Lil Ron's boots crease. Someone is wearing pretty steep lifts," someone opined.
Amid the uproar, one commenter even dabbled in poetic satire, composing a rhyme that took aim at the governor's supposed footwear trickery, "Ron's lifts in his boots, a comical trick, Walking like a giraffe on a pogo stick. Inches above us, he'd strut with pride, But nothing could change how small he was on the inside."
"Definitely some lifts in the boots. But what is more strange to me, is the fact that they are three sizes too big. He must have tiny feet!" someone else offered.
Where Lil Ron's boots crease. Someone is wearing pretty steep lifts, pic.twitter.com/GiUcnToVSP
ā Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) October 29, 2023
Ron's lifts in his boots, a comical trick,
ā CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) October 29, 2023
Walking like a giraffe on a pogo stick.
Inches above us, he'd strut with pride,
But nothing could change how small he was on the inside.
Definitely some lifts in the boots. But what is more strange to me, is the fact that they are three sizes too big. He must have tiny feet!š¦¶
ā Ramon Caudle (@UrbanistaRamon) October 29, 2023
Ron DeSantis addresses footwear speculations
When the opportunity arose for DeSantis to address these claims during an appearance on the podcast of conservative commentator Patrick Bet-David, he opted not to engage directly with the rumors. Instead, he maintained that his choice of footwear was standard and uncomplicated, casually referring to his Lucchese cowboy boots as "off-the-rack."
In response to a viral TikTok video played by Bet-David, where the creator asked, "Tell me he's not wearing hidden heels," DeSantis stood his ground. TikTok user Spamellina had even sketched the shape of a high heel over an image of DeSantis in his boots and compared it to a picture of women's wedged boots, HuffPost reported.
Despite the apparent evidence in the clip, DeSantis insisted, "No, no, no those are just standard, off-the-rack Lucchese." Bet-David then promptly inquired about the governor's height, to which DeSantis responded, "5'11''."
The podcast host then probed DeSantis on his choice of footwear, wondering why he didn't opt for tennis shoes or dress shoes instead. DeSantis replied, "I do wear tennis shoes when I work out, yeah, 100 percent."
Bet-David subsequently pulled out a red shopping bag from Ferragamo, a luxury brand, saying he had a gift for the governor. He placed it on the table between them, but DeSantis declined the offer, stating, "I don't accept gifts, I can't accept it...I'm sorry."
During the interview, DeSantis also invoked the wisdom of Yogi Berra, the iconic Yankees catcher, who was known for his humorous and often paradoxical quotes. DeSantis referenced a famous Berra saying, "Yogi's basically like OK, you can say I'm ugly that's fine, but you don't hit a baseball with your face."
"And so what we're doing is, really I think doing the issues, the leadership, people that are poking at you for different things - that's fine, but ultimately that is not - I think it's a sign of strength," the candidate added.
Regardless, Bet-David criticized DeSantis's marketing team. "I'm a big fan of yours, OK, I'm not a fan of your marketing team, I'm just not," the podcaster said. "I think your book was a miss."
When DeSantis defended the book's popularity, highlighting that it had been the number-one book in the country for two weeks, Bet-David responded, "Yeah that's not a long time though," adding, "You're the guy that should be the leading guy for president."
The bigger picture for Ron DeSantis
For a candidate eyeing the 2024 presidential election, the focus on his boots is just one of the many challenges he faces.
Recent polls in Iowa, the state that traditionally holds the first GOP caucus, revealed that former President Donald Trump continues to command significant support among Republican voters, with DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley trailing far behind with just 16 percent each.
That said, the scrutiny of politicians' fashion choices is not exclusive to Ron DeSantis. In the past, Senator Marco Rubio, who was among the Republicans who competed in the 2016 presidential primary, also faced criticism for his heeled boots.