Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Reuters
“It’s the little things that kill”—at least, according to the 90s British band Bush. Those post-grunge opening guitar chords always pop into my head whenever someone mentions the debate swirling around how to pronounce Ron DeSantis’ last name.
With so many big things going on in the world, this story feels small and petty. On the other hand, not knowing how to pronounce one’s own name is obviously weird, and may serve as a metaphor for deeper concerns about DeSantis. Indeed, Donald Trump is already weaponizing it as I write this.
In case you missed it, we are currently engaged in a great national debate over whether it’s pronounced “Dee-Santis” or “Deh-Santis.” Ron DeSantis can’t even seem to make up his mind about it, choosing to oscillate between the two pronunciations.