Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) shoe choice made waves in recent weeks, with the internet speculating that the dark, heeled cowboy boots he often wears might be lifting him above his normal height.
Even DeSantis’ biggest rival for the Republican nomination raised the theory. After the Daily Dot wrote about it, former President Donald Trump shared a graphic from the story highlighting a TikTok which showed a yellow overlay on DeSantis’ boots that purported to show how the lifts work.
The meme got big enough that DeSantis’ communications team is starting to push back on it online.
On Wednesday, conservative satire site the Babylon Bee writer Ashley St. Clair posted a video on X riffing on the meme titled “POV: you’re ron desantis getting reading [sic] to leave the house.”
In the video, she pulls on an above-the-knee black stiletto boots.
“POV you have nothing substantive to criticize DeSantis on as another plane load of Americans arrives home from Israel,” snarked back DeSantis Rapid Response Director Christina Pushaw, referencing the chartered flights DeSantis ordered in his role as Florida’s governor to bring Americans back from Israel after a new phase in the conflict with Palestine erupted.
“Really disheartening to see this type of reaction to a joke,” St. Clair said. “I’ve made many jokes about Trump and his campaign staff has never attacked me.”
“Touch some grass Ashley,” Pushaw shot back.
Conservative influencer Rob Smith chimed in to tell Pushaw to simmer down.
“Christina, you are not this humorless. It was a silly, cultural joke and it’s funny,” he wrote. “Team D is just so divorced from culture and would do well to LIGHTEN UP.”
Other DeSantis influencers were also bothered by the joke.
“Oh look, she’s completely proving my point from earlier, zero substance, childish nonsense. The Country’s falling apart, her guy is in a courtroom and DeSantis is busy flying people home from a war zone and sending Israel needed supplies. But DeSantis wears Boots 🙄. Every time I this, I’m reminded of why I left and grateful we have a better option,” wrote @JillSAnthony
In another follow-up, St. Clair said she was surprised about Pushaw’s tweet.
“DeSantis official campaign staff is now attacking me for a joke about a very popular meme about him wearing heels,” St. Clair said. “I’ve always been very nice to DeSantis + team. Trump team has never had this reaction when I’ve made many jokes about Trump. Very hostile for no reason!”
She then posted an apology video where she claimed to apologize “from the bottom of her heart” for making such an “unsubstantive” criticism, noting that people claimed DeSantis wears cowboy boots.
The video ended with her pulling on a pair of over-the-knee cowboy boots, to more accurately reflect DeSantis’ choice of footwear.
In the video, the Lee Hazlewood-Nancy Sinatra hit “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” plays in the background.
With DeSantis flopping in the polls in recent months (Trump is up nearly 45 points in the latest Real Clear Politics average), DeSantis’ team has decided to go more aggressive against the former president in a new attempt to gain some relevance, reported the Washington Post on Tuesday.
Apparently, that means cracking down on any memes about DeSantis’ footwear, come hell or high heels.
