FACT CHECK: Did Hillary Clinton Endorse Ron DeSantis For President?

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A video shared on Twitter purports former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsed Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for president during an MSNBC appearance.

Verdict: False

The claim is false. The social media user who shared the video admitted it was digitally manipulated in a subsequent post.

Fact Check:

Clinton was recently honored at the Lotos Club in New York City, according to Fox News. The dinner honoring Clinton happened on the same day as former President Donald Trump’s arraignment, the New York Times reported.

Clinton appears to endorse DeSantis for a potential presidential run in the Twitter video, viewed over 700,000 times.

“Yeah, I know. I’d say he’s just the kind of guy this country needs and I really mean that. If Ron DeSantis got installed as president, I’d be fine with that. I mean the one thing I know about Ron is that when push comes to shove, Ron does what he’s told, and I can’t think of anything more important than that. Hail Hydra,” Clinton appears to continue.

The claim is false. The social media user who shared the video admitted it was digitally manipulated in a subsequent post. The user responded to a comment from another social media user who labeled the video as a “deepfake.”

“I know, I made it with @C3PMeme,” the social media user wrote, tagging a meme-generating account. “Hail Hydra!!” the user added.

Furthermore, the phrase “Hail Hydra” is a reference to a criminal organization in the Marvel Comics franchise. The organization “has historically been used as an allegory for the Nazi Party,” according to a research paper from the University of Puget Sound.

There are no credible news reports indicating Clinton has endorsed DeSantis for president. Likewise, the claim neither appears on Clinton’s website nor her verified social media accounts. In addition, DeSantis has not publicly addressed the purported claim.

The original clip of Clinton on MSNBC finds the former Secretary of State reflecting on the 2016 election, among other topics. At the time of publication, DeSantis has not officially announced a 2024 presidential bid. (RELATED: No, Joe Biden Did Not Die)

Check Your Fact has contacted Clinton and DeSantis’ offices for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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