Florida Man Becomes Florida Governor, Confusion Ensues
In a Halloween costume choice that surprised absolutely no one familiar with Florida politics, Ron DeSantis dressed as an alligator wrangler, fully committing to the “Florida Man” aesthetic that has defined his political brand. The costume featured knee-high boots, cargo shorts (of course), and a stuffed alligator that looked like it was purchased from a gas station somewhere off I-95.
DeSantis, who has built his entire political identity around being “Florida’s Governor” in the same way someone might base their personality around CrossFit, saw this costume opportunity and apparently thought, “You know what would be subtle? An alligator.” The governor’s alligator costume is on-brand in the way that wearing a cheese-head hat to a Packers game is on-brand: technically accurate but trying way too hard.
The photo op took place at the governor’s mansion, where DeSantis posed with actual children while holding the fake alligator, creating an image that screams “focus-grouped Halloween spirit.” Political consultants somewhere collected a paycheck for advising that alligator wrestling “tests well with suburban parents and people who vacation in Florida.”
Critics immediately pounced, because that’s what critics do in 2025. “This is cultural appropriation of genuine Florida swamp people,” declared one activist who has definitely never wrestled an alligator but has strong opinions about it. Others questioned whether the costume was an appropriate use of the governor’s time, as if governors traditionally spend Halloween engaged in serious policy work.
Political analysts called it “performative Floridian-ism,” which is fancy talk for “trying too hard to be something you already are.” DeSantis is actually from Florida, but apparently that’s not enoughyou have to dress as Florida too, just so everyone gets the point.
The stuffed alligator became an instant meme, with Twitter users photoshopping it into various political scenarios within hours. “Release the Gator,” trending nationwide, featured the alligator in everything from Supreme Court hearings to UN meetings. The internet’s ability to turn any political moment into absurdist comedy remains undefeated.
Some speculated the costume was a subtle message about his presidential ambitionswrestling alligators as a metaphor for fighting Washington swamp creatures. This theory requires believing DeSantis thinks in elaborate metaphors rather than just “alligators are cool and I’m from Florida.”
At the end of the day, DeSantis wore an alligator costume to a Halloween event in Florida, which is about as controversial as wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day. But we live in an era where everything is political, nothing is just for fun, and a governor can’t even hand out Snickers bars without it becoming a national incident.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/ron-desantis-alligator-adventure/0
SOURCE: Sarah Pappalardo (https://bohiney.com/ron-desantis-alligator-adventure/0)
