Ron DeSantis Looking Like 'Child' in Large Chair Sparks Flood of Jokes

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced a wave of mockery on Wednesday over the setup of a video posted to his "War Room" social media page.

DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, posted a video of himself discussing his plans for a "revival of the American spirit" in an interview to his campaign's account on X, formerly Twitter, late Tuesday night.

His critics seized on the video to crack jokes about the setup of the video, making fun of the large chair DeSantis was sitting in.

The ridicule comes as DeSantis' campaign has faltered in recent months. The governor's embrace of conservative cultural issues propelled him to the national spotlight, and he was at one point viewed as the candidate with the greatest chance of beating former President Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.

But polls show his campaign struggled to take off, as he faces attacks from Trump and other conservatives. His campaign continues receiving more scrutiny as former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley rises in the polls, particularly in early-voting New Hampshire, raising questions about whether he is the most viable non-Trump Republican candidate.

Democratic strategist Max Burns was among the critics who joked about the video, writing in a post to X, "Were I the Communications Director for Ron DeSantis, I would not have chosen the little boy chair for this event."

"He forgot his booster seat," posted MeidasTouch Editor-in-Chief Ron Filipkowski.

"Praying for the advance staffer that signed off on this setup," posted Inside Elections reporter Jacob Rubashkin.

"His 'War Room' put him in this chair and then posted the video. The only thing worse was Dukakis in a tank," quipped X user @BadFoxGraphics.

The post referred to a photograph of former Massachusetts governor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis sitting in a tank during a stop in Sterling Heights, Michigan while campaigning in the 1988 presidential race.

The photograph sparked a wave of ridicule, with his rival, then-Vice President George H. W. Bush, using it in attack ads. According to Politico, one poll found 25 percent of voters were less likely to vote for him over the photo. The photograph is still frequently referred to when photo-ops receive backlash.

Newsweek reached out to the DeSantis campaign for comment via email.

New polling shows DeSantis continues to trail Trump in the Republican primary, with some polls showing him behind Haley, as well.

A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted among likely Republican primary voters from December 19 to 21 found DeSantis tied with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at 9 percent, behind Trump's 51 percent and Haley's 13 percent. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.