The comedians coming for Ron DeSantis

It's a sign the Florida governor has arrived as well as a raw evaluation of how he's perceived.

Presidential impressionists have been around for decades, becoming a fixture of the modern campaign cycle.

Satire and parody provides the public with needed comic relief from a prolonged political season that wears down many voters — and breeds exhaustion and apathy.  

Donald Trump spawned a fresh generation of comedians and impersonators who capitalized on his eccentric disposition and lacerating insults. Sarah Cooper made an improbable career leap just by lip-reading Trump voiceovers.

President Joe Biden may not be as easy or fun to mimic as Trump, but his advanced age and verbal foibles provide natural content.

As I report for McClatchyDC today, comedians have just begun to eye Ron DeSantis — which is both a sign of his national ascent and a nod to an early caricature that molds him as obsessed with culture wars and subservient to both Trump and his wife.

“We are sending the Disney characters to concentration camps.”

— Comedian Austin Nasso impersonating Ron DeSantis

Read the entire piece HERE, which includes an interview with one of the comedians who is honing his DeSantis impression and analysis on how political humor impacts public opinion on the figures at the center of 2024.