- “They all had on men's dresses,” Ron DeSantis said of his time in Iraq
- His comments about traditional Middle Eastern clothing were ridiculed
Men in the Middle East have worn long, flowing robes for centuries.
Thobes or dishdashas protect the wearer from the brutal heat of the desert while remaining modest.
On Wednesday evening, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis called them “man's dresses,” instantly bewildering or insulting part of the world.
Social media quickly lit up as users poked fun at his casual dismissal of the clothes worn by men in Iraq and much of the Middle East.
The bizarre moment came during the fourth Republican debate when Florida Governor DeSantis was asked about his promise to send troops to the southern border to shoot anyone crossing the border with the deadly drug fentanyl.
“When I was in Iraq, Al Qaeda did not wear a uniform,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said. “You saw everyone walking down the street… they were all wearing men's dresses.”
Do you mean the traditional dishdasha or thobe worn by men throughout the Middle East?
He compared it to his time serving as a lawyer in the U.S. Navy.
“When I was in Iraq, Al Qaeda did not wear a uniform,” he said.
'You saw everyone walking down the street… they were all wearing men's dresses.
'You didn't know whether someone had a bomb, an (improvised explosive device) or not.
“And so you had to make a judgment based on intelligence… based on positive identification.”
He may have been making an important point about the way terrorists and drug smugglers blend in with the local population.
But he was surprised by his characterization of local dress as 'man dresses'.
“Is the Republican party okay with Desantis calling every man in the Middle East who wears men's dresses?” asked Matt Willhite, a former state lawmaker in Florida.
“I don't think Middle Eastern men can wear traditional clothes.”
Viewers reacted with disbelief to DeSantis' comments about Middle Eastern clothing
Critics said it smacks of US military personnel taking a chauvinistic view of locals in the countries where they fight.
“It was already clear that he's racist, but the fact that that disgusting comment went unchallenged — with two Indian Americans clearly understanding the cultural dress on stage — is even grosser,” another user said.
DeSantis has repeatedly spoken about his time in the military when asked about foreign policy.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called him out on it earlier in the debate.
“Ron gets asked a question and he doesn't answer,” he said.
“Your question was very specific: You said you would send American troops as commander in chief?
“And he went on to a 32-second Hosanna about his knowledge of the military and what we need to do, but didn't answer your question.
“Look, if you're president of the United States, you don't have a choice whether or not you answer that question.”