Big bad bully, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, never met a camera or photo op he didn’t like, which is why, in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Ian, he traded his ill-fitting suit—the only one that truly knows how many times he’s been snacking at Buc-ee’s truck stop—for a rules-violating campaign vest, mom dad jeans, and some shiny, immaculately clean, dry white rain boots.
While DeSantis thought the boots were made for a governor walkin’ through swamped streets — as opposed to taking an airboat that pissed a few people off — social media was flooded with fashion-forward, backwards, and fall-on-your-behind funny replies and reactions that made Nancy Sinatra, a very vocal defender of democracy, trend.
And though Sinatra has yet to offer her critique of those boots, everyone else has.
"You keep lyin' when you oughta be truthin'" — Nancy Sinatra, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" pic.twitter.com/aiJxbvCzuk
— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) October 4, 2022
When you interrupt your Nancy Sinatra tribute show for a photo op. pic.twitter.com/faFNe2UV8p
— Steven Senski 🇺🇦 (@StevenSenski) October 4, 2022
Though they weren’t Balenci-ussies or even from the Yeezies White Lives Matter collection, which at this point wouldn’t surprise us, Ron’s rockin’ rain boots inspired so much fall fashion commentary.
When we said we were excited for boot season… this is not what we had in mind. pic.twitter.com/RgRQJQ2xaW
— Red Wine and Blue (@RedWineBlueUSA) October 4, 2022
When photoshop is used for good it is so much fun. 😆 pic.twitter.com/AShriCoxjt
— Michael J. Stern (@MichaelJStern1) October 5, 2022
Who wore it best? pic.twitter.com/NMIn4RCv1Z
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 4, 2022
Ron DeSantis in his Nancy Sinatra boots is having his Mike Dukakis in a tank moment. pic.twitter.com/DG64xwsgFm
— Kitsumi265 (@Kitsumi265) October 4, 2022
Game over. 🏆#RemoveRon #WorstGovernorEver #DeSantisDestroysFlorida pic.twitter.com/TseHDLnmEs
— Lesley Abravanel 🪩 (@lesleyabravanel) October 5, 2022
Which one doesn't belong?#RemoveRon #WorstGovernorEver #DeSantisDestroysFlorida pic.twitter.com/UiSS1u6fW1
— Vinnie Longobardo (@VLongobardo) October 5, 2022
Everyone knows the combative Florida governor loves an opportunity to cosplay, as seen in his absurd Top Gun ripoff. But people found the Nancy Sinatra look as macho as his homoerotic fighter pilot fantasies.
Puss in boots.
— Duty To Warn 🔉 (@duty2warn) October 4, 2022
Hey, Ron DeSantis, looks like you're cosplaying Nancy Sinatra, because…
Those boots are made for walking,
And that's just what you'll do,
When Charlie Crist and voters
Sweep you out in a wave of blue. pic.twitter.com/npkl5M9WJw— Marc Goldstein (@marc92gold) October 4, 2022
And a la Cosplay Cruz, Ron made sure to look his douchey-est wearing the latest “Lookee lookee I’ve got boots on the ground!” shiny white go go boots by Whammo. https://t.co/2lbhruwDTZ pic.twitter.com/lDYc58S73D
— Mattie Timmer (@MattieTimmer) October 4, 2022
DeSantis cheering on relief workers by doing a photo op. pic.twitter.com/dt3PnQq22L
— Paul Leigh-Some Rascal on the Internet 🟧🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@Pleightx) October 5, 2022
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Ron’s always sour, sniveling puss matched perfectly with this meme:
https://twitter.com/lilwaltjr305/status/1577133186005360640?s=20&t=low63AmUxSyFT3sFk-R8nA
Hey, you guys, stop being so mean. It’s art imitating life or vice versa!
Ron is just like a gigantic pair of dry, white rubber boots, just like the ones Florida Senator Jason Pizzo, suing Ron for his Martha’s Vineyard migrant stunt, joked about.
New art installation out in front of the FL Governor’s mansion pic.twitter.com/5Y6HYVE0lW
— Sen. Jason Pizzo (@senpizzo) October 4, 2022
Ron’s rabid base isn’t going to like this criticism, and they will be the first in line to buy branded F Brandon boots with their government checks that Ron voted no against.
Leave Ron alone. He just wanted to wear his new boots!
When you’re just super excited about your new pair of boots. pic.twitter.com/qbAtc8PuBT
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) October 4, 2022
If only red carpet ragin’ Joan Rivers was still alive. She’d have a field day with it and probably agree with this tweet:
Add these boots to Ron’s list of crimes #DeSantisDestroysFlorida https://t.co/lbG0RTvmpP
— amy didn’t prep for nanowrimo but still did it💉 (@amylestoye) October 4, 2022
Who wears white rubber boots with dad jeans tucked in?
I mean, I may be a bit of a fashion snob but this should offend even the least judgmental among us. Rubber boots are cool in a outdoorsy kinda way and definitely have role in wet chilly climes but this is just ridiculous. https://t.co/FGcVMftuXB— Andrea R MD (@AndreaR9Md) October 4, 2022
Look, DeSantis doesn’t have the same fashion (and every other bit of) finesse as say, a Gavin Newsom, but that doesn’t mean he’s uninspiring.
Hopefully, his fashion choices will inspire Florida voters to dump DeSantis and his offenses against our sensibilities.
Lesley Abravanel is a former entertainment columnist who realized that fighting fascism is more important than keeping up with the Kardashians.
Follow her on Twitter@LesleyAbravanel.