Resurfaced Video of Ron DeSantis 'Licking His Tongue' Has Netizens Convinced 'He's a Snake'

46th Governor of Florida Ronald DeSantis recently made headlines, not for his political ventures, but rather for a weird tongue gesture. The 44-year-old Republican became the topic of discussion on X (formerly Twitter) after a netizen posted a snippet from his 2023 interview with NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns. Governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds, had also joined in on the conversation to endorse DeSantis for his bid in the 2024 elections.

During the segment, she was questioned about the state of DeSantis’ relationship with President-elect Donald Trump. "Well I don't know, I really can't tell you. That's probably a question for him,” she said eventually turning to DeSantis. What happened next, left viewers both amused and creeped out. As Reynolds looked at him, DeSantis smiled briefly licking his lips. "WTF is going on with his snake tongue?" an X user stated as they brought the issue to light. The post gained immediate traction and was viewed over 765k times.

Netizens joked about the politician being a reptile while others were simply grossed out. “I knew it. He’s a snake,” one user joked. In a similar vein, another quipped, "He needs some snakeskin boots to match that snake tongue.” Echoing the sentiment, one penned, “I swear this dude is an alien.” "Don't you know? That's how reptiles 'taste' the air," mocked yet another critic. "He’s always doing something absolutely inhuman with his gustatory organs," chimed another. One commenter suggested, "He was hungry and spotted a fly buzzing by."

However, there were some who came in support of DeSantis. One X a person commented, "Okay. I’m no DeSantis fan but are we really going to stoop so low that we’re criticizing someone licking their lips? Are we going to be THOSE people? There are far better things to criticize him over." Another opined that it could be Tourette's. "Could be a tic. My son who has Tourette’s had a tic like that."

This isn't the first time DeSantis has been at the center of attention for something unusual. During his 2015 Senate campaign, a promotional photograph intended to bolster his public image and connect with voters unexpectedly became a lightning rod for online ridicule, as per Raw Story. The image depicted DeSantis and his wife, Casey, walking hand-in-hand along a picturesque beach— a classic campaign shot designed to emphasize their relationship and portray him as a grounded, approachable candidate. However, what was meant to be a heartfelt moment of sincerity turned into a bizarre controversy when viewers noticed something peculiar: there were no footprints in the sand.

The revelation led many to believe the image was photoshopped, adding fuel to ongoing discussions about the authenticity of his public image. Social media users were quick to respond with memes and jokes, accusing the campaign of superimposing the couple onto a beach background rather than taking an actual photo at a Florida beach.