FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Ron DeSantis Holding A Trump T-Shirt?

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis holding up a pro-Trump t-shirt. 

Verdict: False

The image has been digitally altered. The original image depicts DeSantis holding a Popeyes t-shirt.

Fact Check:

Former President Donald Trump stated that he “would win” against DeSantis in a hypothetical 2024 Republican presidential primary matchup, according to The New Yorker. The former president reassured he had a “very good relationship” with the governor nor has he asked him about a potential presidential run, the outlet reported.

The Facebook post, which has garnered over 380 reactions, allegedly shows DeSantis posing with a shirt that includes an overlay of Trump’s face on a map of America in the style of the American flag. The shirt includes the text, “I’d love a mean tweet and 1.79 gas right now.”

The image is digitally fabricated. A reverse image search found the image first appeared on DeSantis’ verified Twitter in September 2019. The post depicts him holding a shirt that reads “I went to Popeyes for the new chicken sandwich and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.”

Great to visit the HQ for @PopeyesChicken and @BurgerKing in Miami. I’ve been looking for the elusive chicken sandwich, but the stores are still out. Maybe it’s time to issue an executive order requiring all Popeyes in Florida to re-stock them ASAP?? pic.twitter.com/SagYhmAxcj

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 27, 2019

“Great to visit the HQ for @PopeyesChicken and @BurgerKing in Miami,” the tweet reads in part, further joking about the “elusive chicken sandwich.” (RELATED: Did Ron DeSantis Pose With A Shirt That Refers To Justin Trudeau As ‘Useless’?)

There are no news reports suggesting DeSantis had posed with a t-shirt that made the remark depicted in the post. The governor has recently criticized President Joe Biden for “facilitating” inflation and gas prices through “policy misjudgments,” according to CBS News.

This is not the first time the same shirt has been digitally altered to feature a political message. Check Your Fact previously debunked images that featured an anti-masking message and a slogan that attacked Canadian Labor Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

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