Ron DeSantis’ excruciating attempt to smile during GOP debate sweeps the internet

Fading Ron DeSantis has even less to smile about in the aftermath of Wednesday’s GOP debate after his torturous attempt at smirking flooded the internet.

The Florida governor’s blunder came just after he told an audience, “We’ll get the job done and I won’t let you down.”

But DeSantis’ subsequent attempt to reinforce his vow with a confident smile went horribly wrong, as he slowly displayed a bizarre grin that was labeled as rictus and fake.

Democrat strategist Keith Edwards’s clip of the time was one of the most shared on Twitter, also known as X.

Edwards, hearing shocked laughter at the sight of DeSantis, endorsed his tweet: “The delay he tries to laugh is insane???”

Many quickly agreed. Jim Messina replied, “To someone suing Disney, he looks very much like a Disney World animatronic here.”

Messina was referring to DeSantis’ decision to strip Walt Disney World of self-governing powers in Orlando. He did so after the entertainment giant opposed its so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which bans teachers from instructing students on issues related to gender identity and sexuality.

Brian Klass wrote, “This is like that episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer where it turns out that her mom’s new boyfriend, ‘Ted,’ is actually a robot.”

And a tweeter named Skooks was also amused by the incident, writing, “Okay, this is the stuff. This is what America tuned into tonight.”

Vivek Ramaswamy was considered the star of Wednesday’s debate, although DeSantis was also highly regarded by about a quarter of viewers.

DeSantis was once hailed as a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination thanks to his confident administration of the Sunshine State.

But he’s performed poorly during the campaign, with critics saying the Florida governor has struggled to connect face-to-face with voters, or seem natural in an unrehearsed environment.

Wall Street Journal reporter John McCormick shared this photo of Ron DeSantis laughing heartily at a comment about a vintage Porsche in Iowa in May

The moment, which first aired on C-Span, had DeSantis laughing when he was told how expensive it was to run an old car

DeSantis defenders have urged undecided voters to focus on his administration and success as governor, rather than what they see as trivial attacks on his appearance.

In May, DeSantis raised his eyebrows after footage surfaced of him manically roaring with laughter at an Iowa classic car show.

He couldn’t stop laughing after asking a visitor about the running costs of a Porsche, to which the man replied, “Ugh, we won’t even talk about that.”

Earlier that same month, DeSantis suffered a bizarre “bobblehead” outburst, in which he angrily bobbed his neck while taunting journalists at a press conference in Japan.

The latest polls from FiveThirtyEight allows DeSantis to win 15.2 percent of the vote for the Republican presidential nomination, which will be awarded next July.

DeSantis also took to the internet in May about a clip of him bobbing his head angrily during this press conference in Japan

Donald Trump is at an impressive 52.1 percent — though a CBS News poll released Sunday suggested he has won more than 62 percent of Republican voters.

Trump’s standing among Republicans has soared after four indictments over a string of alleged crimes he has dismissed as a witch hunt.

DeSantis and Trump were once close, with the former president crediting himself for helping DeSantis win Florida’s 2019 gubernatorial election.

But things turned sour when DeSantis voiced his own presidential ambitions. Trump calls him “DeSantimonious” and “Meatball Ron.”

DeSantis now faces the unenviable task of trying to fight back against Trump’s attacks without isolating the huge fraction of Republicans who continue to loyally support the 45th president.