Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis got stuck early during Wednesday night’s third primary debate, according to viewers who twisted his collar and wondered why he wasn’t wearing an American flag pin.
DeSantis’ tie and how it came about became a point of contention as the leading Republican presidential candidates, minus former front-runner Donald Trump, gathered on stage in downtown Miami.
The 45-year-old Florida governor wore a black suit jacket, a white button-up and a black and white tie with a small pattern, giving it a strobe effect on screen.
“Wasn’t Ron DeSantis’ wife on TV? If so, how did she sign this ‘making viewers feel like they’re on an acid trip?’ Republican political strategist Liz Mair mused on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
Casey DeSantis was a longtime TV reporter in Jacksonville, Florida before supporting her husband’s political career.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis got stuck early during Wednesday night’s primary debate during the GOP debate, according to viewers who searched his ties and wondered why he wasn’t wearing an American flag pin
Republican political strategist Liz Mair described DeSantis’ black-and-white patterned tie as something that “made viewers feel like they were on an acid trip.” On television it looked like a strobe effect
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (right) offers a look at the GOP’s main rival, the former UN ambassador. Nikki Haley (left) during Wednesday night’s third Republican primary debate – in which viewers sifted through his choice of tie and lack of an American flag pin
Another Republican Party political consultant, Blake Gober, gave DeSantis’ tie a thumbs down.
“The tie Ron DeSantis is wearing is a bad choice. Plus, his suit looks too big,” Gober told X.
Conservative journalist Raheem Kassam said it was the “weakest DeSantis opening of any debate so far.”
“And he wears a tie that flashes on TV,” said the former editor of Breitbart News London.
X user Josh von Drusselstein pointed out how awkwardly DeSantis’ tie was tied.
“Haley and DeSantis sound very presidential,” he said. ‘Very good optics for both. But who tied RDS’s tie? Looks awful,” he commented.
User babs46 commented: ‘Watching debate – where is the DeSantis flag lapel pin from Gov?’
Another GOP political consultant, Blake Gober, called DeSanti’s black-and-white checkered tie a “bad choice” and also criticized his lawsuit
Journalists watch Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the opening minutes of Wednesday night’s GOP debate in Miami
Former Breitbart London editor, conservative writer Raheem Kassan, pointed out that DeSantis’ tie is ‘flashing on TV’
X user Josh von Drusselstein pointed out that DeSantis’ tie was tied awkwardly as the third Republican debate opened Wednesday night
User babs46 wondered why Florida’s governor wasn’t wearing the traditional American flag lapel pin that political candidates often wear
Former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro also commented on DeSantis’ actions
Former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro also commented on DeSantis’ tie.
“DeSantis utters words that the Republican Party seems to like, but he has a schoolboy, slightly disheveled appearance (fix that tie knot) that undermines his presentation of authority,” the ex-HUD director and former San Antonio mayor said, Texas.
DeSantis’ fashion knowledge became a story last week Politico Magazine published a piece where three shoe and boot experts said they believed the Florida governor was wearing lifts, essentially turning his cowboy boots into high heels.
Before the Politico investigation, there were musings on social media about the height of several pairs of DeSantis boots he regularly wears.
TikTok user Spamellina had sketched the shape of a high heel over the photo of DeSantis in his boots, then shared a photo of a pair of women’s wedge boots for comparison.
TikTok user Spamellina had sketched the shape of a high heel over the photo of DeSantis in his boots, then shared a photo of a pair of women’s wedge boots for comparison
Trump’s campaign had a big day with so-called ‘bootgate’.
“When asked directly why his boots look like stilts, DeSanctus offered the unlikely explanation that he simply wears off-the-shelf Lucchese boots, causing major brand damage to a major American shoe company,” Trump spokesman Steven said Cheung.
Cheung added that DeSantis will “wish for more in-flight pudding and biohazard stories instead of having to deal with his shoes that are better suited for America’s Next Top Model than the campaign trail.”
DeSantis first denied he was carrying lifts and then tried to focus the attention back on Trump — and his decision to skip Wednesday night’s debate.
“I know that Donald Trump and a lot of his people have focused on things like shoes. “I’ll tell you this: If Donald Trump can muster the balls to show up to the debate, I will wear a boot on my head,” DeSantis said on Newsmax last week. ‘This is the time for content.’