Fake Ron DeSantis yearbook quote spreads online
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on July 13, 2023 at 21:38
- 2 min read
- By Bill MCCARTHY, AFP USA
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"My Mount Rushmore is Jesus, Sir-Mixes-a-Lot, and Nintendo 64," says text under DeSantis's portrait in the image, which circulated in posts shared across Twitter, Facebook and other platforms.
The supposed yearbook quote refers erroneously to Sir Mix-a-Lot, an American artist known for his 1992 hit "Baby Got Back."
"'Sir-Mixes-a-Lot' should automatically disqualify you from running for office," says a July 9, 2023 tweet sharing the photo.
DeSantis is challenging former US president Donald Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024.
But the picture shared online has been manipulated. The original page from Florida's Dunedin High School -- where DeSantis played baseball and graduated in 1997 -- features no such quote.
"This is a photo from the Dunedin High School yearbook; however, there is no quote within the yearbook photo beneath Governor DeSantis's photo nor any other student within the yearbook," Sean Clark, director of strategic communications for Pinellas County Schools, told AFP in an emailed statement.
A reverse image search surfaced an April 2023 Reddit thread from someone who claims to have attended high school with DeSantis. The post (archived here) includes the original, unedited photo of the governor's yearbook page, as well as other pictures from the records.
AFP reached out to the DeSantis campaign for comment, but no response was forthcoming.
AFP has debunked other misinformation about DeSantis here and here.
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