A video shared on Twitter purports to show Microsoft founder Bill Gates endorsing Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for president.

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— Ramble_Rants (@ramble_rants) May 15, 2023

Verdict: Misleading

The Twitter clip has been digitally created using a May 2022 interview Gates did with Savannah Guthrie on “TODAY,” meaning it pre-dates the launch of DeSantis’ 2024 presidential bid. Gates also does not mention DeSantis at any point in the interview.

Fact Check:

Gates reportedly had an affair with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova in 2010 when he was 53 and she was in her early 20s, Fox News reported Friday. Late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein supposedly threatened Gates over the alleged affair, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“We simply have to push forward with the great reset, or everything will be lost. The only way forward is an operation between the best minds across the globe, and together we’ll be able to guide humanity to a decent outcome. That’s why I support Ron DeSantis as our next president,” Gates appears to say in the Twitter video, which has been viewed over 24,000 times.

The claim is misleading. The Twitter clip has been digitally created using a May 2022 interview Gates did with Savannah Guthrie on “TODAY.” During the interview, Gates and Guthrie discuss multiple topics, including his divorce, conspiracy theories about vaccines, and his book, “How to Prevent the Next Pandemic.”

Because the interview took place in early May 2022, it pre-dates the launch of DeSantis’ 2024 presidential bid by over a year. At no point does Gates mention DeSantis. (RELATED: Did Hillary Clinton Endorse Ron DeSantis For President?)

Likewise, a review of the Twitter clip shows that the audio does not match Gates’ lip movements, which immediately calls the media’s authenticity into question.

Additionally, Gates has neither publicly endorsed DeSantis for president in the 2024 election via his website or social media accounts. DeSantis also has not responded to the claim via his verified Twitter account.

Furthermore, Check Your Fact has not found any credible news reports suggesting Gates has ever endorsed DeSantis in the 2024 presidential race.

Check Your Fact has contacted both Gates and DeSantis for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.