Did Ron DeSantis just have his Howard Dean moment?

| 9:24 pm EDT May 13, 2023
Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.

The more the nation sees of Ron DeSantis, the less they think of him. That’s even true of Republicans. His 2024 Republican primary polls have dropped in half since he began his national rollout. DeSantis is now a punchline. He should be laying very low right now, hoping people forget what a joke they think he is.

Instead DeSantis is still out there on the 2024 campaign trail, this time with a rally in Iowa. The thing is, this happened today:

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It’s just a still photo, and it’s not even clear what he was doing in that moment. But it’s so awkwardly embarrassing, it’s being compared to the infamous video of Howard Dean awkwardly yelling about all the states he was going to.

This comes at the worst possible time for DeSantis. He’s already become a national punchline after trying to portray himself as a strongman but coming off as a weakling with no personality. Now DeSantis might be about to get tagged as a punchline permanently.

Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.