Former Conservative MP and podcaster Rory Stewart recently found himself at the center of internet humor after an unusual moment during an appearance on the BBC program Newsnight. The 53-year-old, known for his work in politics, academia, and podcasting, joined the show with former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and Ailbhe Rea, the Political Editor of the New Statesman, to discuss a range of current issues, including political meetings and royal family news. The moment that sparked online reactions occurred during a discussion on AI security, a topic Stewart has previously focused on. Host Matt Chorley asked Rea what the UK government was doing to counter the potential dominance of China and the United States in artificial intelligence. Instead of responding directly, Stewart turned in his chair to face the camera, fixing Chorley with a sudden and intense stare. The unexpected and dramatic nature of his movement quickly went viral, with many viewers finding it both amusing and oddly memorable. Social media users have since shared a variety of memes and reaction GIFs based on the moment, with many joking about the intensity of Stewart’s gaze. The clip has been widely circulated, adding to the growing collection of internet moments that highlight the quirks of public figures. This is not the first time Stewart has been a subject of online humor. In 2019, during his campaign for the Conservative leadership, he posted a series of awkward self-recorded videos on Twitter, captioned with #RoryWalks. One video, in which he pretended to film himself in Kew Gardens with a phone, was later revealed to be a fake.