Resurfaced Video Of Ron Desantis’ Smile Had Everyone A Bit Weirded Out: “Someone Needs To Tell…”

During the second Republican primary debate , it was not Ron DeSantis ’ words that captured the nation’s attention— but rather his bizarre smile. Or rather, his attempt at one. The Florida Governor’s ‘creepy smile’ set social media abuzz, leaving many cringing. Standing center-stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, DeSantis tried to cap an applause-worthy grin. But what could have been a gesture of confidence turned into an awkward spectacle.

The smile came across as forced, fleeting, and oddly punctuated with a flash of the tongue— an image now immortalized in viral clips and memes across social media. Critics quickly pounced. Representative Brendan Boyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat, tweeted , “There’s nothing more painful in the universe than Ron DeSantis trying to smile. #awkward #GOPDebate.” Social media users piled on, describing it as ‘pre-programmed,’ ‘weird,’ and ‘unsettling.’ Some quipped that his wife, Casey, would chastise him for the misstep. Another user tweeted , “I’m WILLING DeSantis not to do that weird smile thing he does when he finishes an answer. #pleasestop #why #GOPDebate,” as reported by Newsweek .

As per reports , even conservative commentators weren’t kind. Charles Hurt of The Washington Times, noted, ″[W]hen you have to take actual laughing lessons and you have to practice smiling, it’s a problem.” Rich Lowry  from the National Review quipped, “Someone needs to tell DeSantis that no smile is better than a fake smile.” This isn’t the first time DeSantis’ mannerisms have drawn scrutiny. During the GOP debate , his stiff smirks and uneasy demeanor became the talk of the evening. Earlier in the year, an awkward laugh during a public appearance was also turned into a meme, as the governor struggled to connect with voters on a personal level.

While DeSantis excels at policy and debate , his inability to project warmth and relatability has become a recurring theme. Critics argue that these moments reinforce perceptions of a robotic and overly rehearsed politician. His campaign team’s efforts to address these issues— reportedly including coaching sessions on smiling and laughing (yes, you heard that right!)— have yet to yield the desired results. The internet was quick to turn DeSantis’ awkward grin into comedic fodder. GIFs zooming in on his smile and satirical commentary dominated X and TikTok. One user wrote , “The moment when DeSantis remembered that his team told him to not smile like a creep.”

MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan reiterated the sentiment , remarking, “Oh my, DeSantis did it again tonight: the rant, followed by the forced smile, followed by the grimace. Hilarious. He is beyond saving.” DeSantis’ awkward smile is a small but telling example of how optics and relatability can make or break a campaign. While policy expertise is crucial, voters often respond to reliability and easy candidness.