“Gaslighting the American People”: DeSantis Attacks Media’s Portrayal of Kamala Harris with “Mean Girls” Reference

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) took to social media on Monday, using a reference from the film “Mean Girls” to allege that the media is “gaslighting” the American people by promoting the enthusiasm surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

“Is it possible to completely manufacture a cultural phenomenon by taking a vapid, leftist San Francisco Democrat and turning her into something that she’s not through nonstop gaslighting? Corporate media is certainly trying to make ‘fetch’ happen,” DeSantis posted.

The reference to “fetch” comes from “Mean Girls,” where a character tries to popularize the term “fetch.” Another character dismissively tells her she’ll never make “fetch happen.” While DeSantis intended to attack Harris, some viewed his comments as indicative of the Republican Party’s anxiety over Harris’ entry into the presidential race.

“DeSantis using the term gaslighting in earnest is the surest sign of Republican distress I’ve seen yet,” posted legal analyst and writer Luppe B. Lupen. “Good lord, the whining from the weirdest people you know is off the charts,” said media relations consultant Dante Atkins.

Organizer and writer Thomas Kennedy pointed to a February 2024 headline about DeSantis’ presidential campaign against Trump: “DeSantis told Republicans that Trump was a terrible candidate. Then he got in line,” read the Miami Herald headline.

“If anyone is trying to make ‘fetch’ happen through nonstop gaslighting, it’s you,” posted Kennedy. “Man notorious for manufacturing cultural phenomena for his own political gain is shocked when organic cultural phenomena are created by regular people excited about their own candidate. Sit this one out my guy, maybe you can learn a thing or two about authenticity,” lawyer Toni Rodríguez posted on X.

American Independent writer Emily C. Singer mocked: “Ron is big mad because he is unlikable and awkward.” Robert Smartwood recalled the bizarre story of DeSantis eating pudding with his fingers during a private plane flight from Tallahassee to Washington, D.C., in March 2019. “How did you manage to type this tweet with all that pudding on your fingers?” asked Smartwood.

Since Harris announced her candidacy, more than 142,000 new Democratic Party registrations have been recorded, according to the head of the group Vote.org in an MSNBC interview. Additionally, within the first 30 hours of Harris’ campaign announcement, small-dollar donors contributed more than $100 million. The campaign reported raising over $200 million in the first week alone.

DeSantis’ attempt to undermine Harris with cultural references and accusations of media bias may reflect deeper concerns within the Republican Party about her growing popularity and the enthusiasm she has generated among voters and donors.