Democrat Brutally Mocked for Video of Him Singing 'Feliz Navidad'

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has been criticized for singing "Feliz Navidad" in a video posted on Christmas Day.

The clip of Polis, who has governed the state since 2019, was posted on his various X (formerly Twitter) accounts on Monday, including a Spanish language–based account. The 14-second clip shows him dancing side to side and making hand motions while singing the lyrics of José Feliciano's 1970 hit.

The song has become a holiday staple for more than 50 years. Feliciano, a Puerto Rican–born singer, mixed a few Spanish and English words to convey his hopes for the Christmas season and the year ahead: "Feliz Navidad, próspero año y felicidad," which translates to "Merry Christmas, a prosperous year and happiness."

But the Democratic governor's rendition hasn't received much acclaim, at least from some on social media who mocked the clip for being cringe-inducing and pandering to a Hispanic audience.

One X user responded to Polis' account by writing, "¿Qué tipo de ritual de humillación es este?" The translation is: "What kind of humiliation ritual is this?"

A response in Spanish questioned Polis' motives for even making and posting the video, saying the thought process behind it would have been different if it had catered to another demographic.

"I'll say this in Spanish to stay within the scope of your strange topic. Here's the thing: This is ridiculous and you look as uncomfortable doing it as I did watching it," the X user wrote. "What was the real purpose of this? Because if I were of Latin descent, I would make fun of you instead of thinking, 'Oh yeah, I'm going to vote for that guy.'"

Newsweek reached out to Polis' office for comment via email.

Polis, the nation's first openly gay governor, was first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022.

"Apparently, Gov. Polis thinks 'Feliz Navidad' has something to do with milking cows," wrote another X user.

"Even the Latinxs are cringing," replied another.

Colorado made headlines last week when the state's Supreme Court decided to bar Republican front-runner Donald Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot. The court said the former president was disqualified because he violated the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which prevents public officials from holding federal office if they have engaged in "insurrection."

The move, which is also being considered in other states and is expected to be ruled on by the U.S. Supreme Court, has been widely debated. Conservatives have called it voter suppression, although a YouGov survey of nearly 3,500 U.S. adults found that 54 percent agreed with the decision—including 24 percent of Republicans.

Colorado has also seen an influx of migrants in recent days. Sixteen busloads of migrants—nine last Thursday night and seven on Friday—arrived in Denver, and 3,800 individuals were being housed in shelters, according to local TV station KCNC.

Denver and the state as a whole had similar challenges about a year ago, when Polis drew the ire of New York City Mayor Eric Adams when he said that illegal migrants would be sent to New York City and Chicago.

At the time, Polis' office said that the state, in partnership with the city of Denver and nonprofit organizations, had worked "tirelessly" to address a surge of migrants, about 70 percent of whom arrive in Denver without the intention of making it "a final destination."

Polis defended his stance, saying later that the issue was predicated on "treating people with dignity and respect."