“The cringe is too much”: A grimacing Ron DeSantis at GOP debate is going viral for his awkward smile

The second Republican presidential debate from Wednesday, September 27, went viral on social media, not for any major political statements but for Ron DeSantis' awkward grimace. The Florida Governor's unnatural smile is something that has been discussed in great detail in the past. That discussion was revived when he did it again this Wednesday at GOP debate.

Commenting about the same, many social media users wrote how they were creeped out by the Florida Governor's rather unnatural way of smiling. People called the smile inhuman and made memes and pop-cultural references based on it. However, a few others criticized users for focusing on the trivial stuff instead of the actual debate. One X user wrote how they beg for him to stop appearing as human since the "cringe is too much."

Netizens were left unnerved by DeSantis' smile (Image via X/@mehdirhasan)

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Ron DeSantis' awkward smile blows up social media once again as netizens make fun of him

What happened at the first Republican presidential debate back in August happened again at the second presidential debate on September 27, right after a charged-up Ron DeSantis proudly proclaimed:

"Send me a bloating spending bill that's gonna cause your prices to go up, I'm gonna take out this veto pen and I'm gonna send it right back to them."

After the statement, DeSantis looked straight at the camera and tilted his head. This was immediately followed up by the second appearance of his signature smile at the debate. The Florida Governor's unevenly twitched lips slightly revealed his teeth as they stretched to form a semblance of a smile, which lasted barely a second as DeSantis immediately proceeded to look down.

His smile became viral as social media was once again filled with images of Ron DeSantis smiling. The host of MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan show, Mehdi Hasan, tweeted out the viral moment on X. His September 28 tweet making fun of DeSantis amassed over 859,000 views at the time of writing this article.

Netizens were unevenly split in their responses to Hasan's viral tweet. Several users commented that Ron DeSantis' smile was embarrassing and inhuman. People even made memes about the smile. However, a few people criticized Hasan for focusing on trivial details and showcased their support for DeSantis.

Wednesday's second Republican primary presidential debate took place at the Ronald Raegan presidential library in Simi Valley, California, and was moderated by Fox News' Stuart Varney and Dana Perino. One notable absentee from the debate between the seven candidates was front-runner Donald Trump, which meant that all eyes were on Ron DeSantis as he took center stage.

A quick flashback to the first Republican presidential debate that took place last month in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reveals one particular moment that stuck with viewers after the debate. Right after DeSantis says, "We will get the job done and I will not let you down," towards the start of his debate, he smiles in a rather uncanny, delayed, unnatural, and robotic manner.

Accusations of DeSantis being robotic in body language are not limited to his smiling ability. They also point to other instances, like when he seemingly glitched before the press in Japan in April 2023 when he was asked about polls showcasing him falling behind Trump.

Moreover, his stiff posture and allegedly monotone personality are other points of contention among supporters and adversaries.

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As stated above, former president Donald Trump was once again absent from the GOP debate as he chose to speak in Michigan at an autoworker's strike instead. The rest of the candidates engaged in direct criticism of Trump, with DeSantis taking shots at the former president by pointing out Trump's contribution to the current inflation.