Mason DeSantis, son of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, will go trick-or-treating this year as Osceola, the designated symbol of Florida State University athletics.
Gov. DeSantis disclosed his second-grader’s costume during an Oct. 27 appearance on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime. The legendary Seminole warrior plants a flaming spear as the 50-year line at the beginning of FSU home football games.
Mason, 7, is “a die-hard Florida State fan so he is going as Chief Osceola,” his father told Watters. “I’m not sure I’m going to turn him loose with a flaming spear, but he is going to have all the other accouterments.”
The Seminole Tribe of Florida has a partnership with FSU about the school’s use of the Seminole name and imagery, but the much larger Seminole Nation of Oklahoma passed a resolution in 2013 condemning the use of Native American images, symbols and history as promotional tools.
One of the DeSantis administration’s signature pieces of legislation is the Stop Woke Act of 2022, which targets diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on topics such as race, gender, and sexuality.
It’s “amazing that would have been a very politically incorrect costume a couple years ago, but I think now he can go and he can go proud,” Watters said about the Osceola costume.
The governor’s office did not respond to a question about the Halloween costumes for DeSantis’ other two children, Madison, 8, and Mamie, 5.
Americans are embracing the opportunity to escape into the Halloween tradition of dressing up as a scary spirit or pop culture icon with renewed interest this year.
The most popular costumes this year, according to New York Magazine, are the cuddly grinning monster Labubu, K-Pop Demon Hunters, a Katy Perry space woman jumper, Taylor Swift’s engagement photo dress, and a Zohran Mamdani supporter.
Watters asked DeSantis what costume he will don when he takes his kids trick or treating Friday.
“I pretty much just play the governor, man. That’s what I do,” DeSantis said.
James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahassee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Mason DeSantis’ Halloween costume channels FSU spirit as Osceola
Reporting by James Call, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
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