Fact Check: Did DeSantis Say 'Mmm Hungwy' as He Was Served Food in Video?

Ron DeSantis' comfort on camera has been something of a hurdle for the Florida governor, who is running behind Donald Trump in polls for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Trump supporters have been quick to point out what they called DeSantis' "robotic and awkward" manner in recordings and interview mishaps caught on camera.

So, when a video was shared seemingly showing DeSantis speaking in child talk as he settled in for a meal, social media pounced, with millions viewing the clip in a matter of days.

The Claim

A tweet by user @tinylittlehomie, posted on July 16, 2023, viewed 2.1 million times, included a two-second clip in which it appears that Ron DeSantis is passed food and replies "Mmm hungwy."

The accompanying tweet says: "It's awesome that a one-second video is going to tank an entire presidential campaign lol."

The Facts

The unusual and very short clip began spreading across Twitter on Saturday, with many of the comments appearing to take it at face value.

For what it's worth, the voice in the film does sound similar to DeSantis', while the length of the clip and its editing makes it difficult to notice immediately whether it's real or not.

However, it was not long after the clip went on to cause a stir that Forbes published a fact check debunking the video.

The clip is taken from a video by Bad Lip Reading, a popular YouTube channel that takes footage of politicians, celebrities, musicians, and from movies, edits out the original audio, and replaces voices with seemingly convincing but clearly comedic dubs.

The full video "DeSantis For President," posted on July 14, 2023, includes dozens of other edits, including one of the Florida governor walking into a restaurant and saying "Wow, this is disgusting. Hey there, worker guy. Easy, psycho. Shall we dance?" The "Mmm, hungwy" clip appears about 22 seconds in.

Despite the Forbes debunk, and Twitter community notes appearing across some other tweets, the video has continued to proliferate on social media, with some new posts editing the Forbes article headline to make it appear it believes the clip is genuine.

Bad Lip Reading has taken on a number of politicians in the past few years, including President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and many others in its parody of the 2023 State of the Union address.

Newsweek has reached out to a media representative for Ron DeSantis for comment.

The Ruling

Misleading Material.

The clip of Ron DeSantis saying "Mmm hungwy" isn't real. As was pointed out in a Forbes debunk shortly after it was posted on Twitter, the video is from the Bad Lip Reading series, which edits over voices of celebrities and public figures with comedic dubs.

Although it has been pointed out that the video isn't real, it has continued to be shared on social media without comment.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team