Fact check: Article spreads false claim George Soros endorsed Ron DeSantis

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: George Soros endorsed Ron DeSantis for president

A Feb. 16 article published by Gateway Pundit features side-by-side pictures of billionaire George Soros and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

"Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Endorsed by George Soros," reads the headline from Gateway Pundit, which has repeatedly published misinformation regarding subjects such as voter fraud and the 2020 election.

The article was shared more than 1,000 times in four days.

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Our rating: False

Soros hasn't endorsed DeSantis. The article misrepresents a clip of Soros' speech in which he predicted DeSantis would be the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

Soros made a prediction, not an endorsement

Soros, a frequent target of conspiracy theorists and misinformers, is a longtime backer of Democratic candidates. He donated $6 million to super PACs supporting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 and $170 million to Democratic candidates and campaigns in 2022.

The article doesn't provide evidence to back up its claim. Instead, it features a video of Soros speaking on Feb. 16, the night before the Munich Security Conference.

"My hope for 2024 is that Trump and Governor DeSantis of Florida will slug it out for the Republican nomination," Soros says in the clip. "Trump has turned into a pitiful figure, continually re-mourning his loss in 2020. Big Republican donors are abandoning him in droves. DeSantis is shrewd, ruthless and ambitious. He is likely to be a Republican candidate."

Soros never endorsed or said he supports DeSantis in his speech.

Michael Vachon, a spokesperson for Soros, told USA TODAY in an email that Soros has not endorsed DeSantis, pointing to a full transcript of Soros' speech.

"This could induce Trump, whose narcissism has turned into a disease, to run as a third-party candidate," Soros continued. "That would lead to a Democratic landslide and force the Republican Party to reform itself."

Fact check: Social media users falsely link George Soros and the Nazis

Footage of the speech was shared on YouTube by the Open Society Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Soros.

USA TODAY reached out to Gateway Pundit for comment.

The claim has also been debunked by Lead Stories.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: False claim George Soros endorsed Ron DeSantis