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- A fake video of Gov. Ron DeSantis talking like a child and saying he's "hungwy" has gone viral.
- The video was posted to YouTube by the parody account, Bad Lip Reading.
- DeSantis' critics are dogpiling on him anyway, saying the fake has more charisma than the real deal.
A viral video of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that shows him talking like a toddler is totally fake — but his critics aren't letting it slide.
The YouTube channel Bad Lip Reading uploaded a video on July 15 that pokes fun at DeSantis' quirks and mannerisms, dubbing over videos of the governor with nonsensical dialogue.
Titled "DESANTIS FOR PRESIDENT," the viral video features DeSantis making nonsensical remarks and behaving awkwardly on the campaign trail.
"Ah, hungwy," the parody version of DeSantis can be heard saying as he tucks into a burger. This might be a reference to claims in March, first reported by the Daily Beast, that DeSantis has embarrassing eating habits and once ate a chocolate pudding with three fingers.
Bad Lip Reading said in its video caption that this clip is their comedic interpretation of what a "bizarre new campaign ad" by DeSantis could look like.
The Bad Lip Reading YouTube channel, which at press time had more than 8.18 million subscribers, has also posted parody videos of other politicians, like President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The fact that the video is just a comedic take on DeSantis hasn't stopped the Florida candidate's critics from trashing him in the comments section.
"This version definitely has more charisma, and social skills, than the real DeSantis," wrote one Youtuber commenter.
And it's not just YouTube, Twitter users also pointed out that the video could do real harm to DeSantis' presidential aspirations.
"But it did its damage which is peak hilarity. The man deserves every bit of humiliation he's currently being served. Mmm hungwy! Gimme more of that delicious DeSantis humiliation!," a Twitter user named Kyle Ball wrote.
The YouTube parody is but another stumble in DeSantis's beleaguered campaign for the GOP nomination.
The DeSantis campaign faced a rocky start after a botched campaign launch in May on Elon Musk's Twitter Spaces. The governor was later hit by a gamut of problems, ranging from his bitter feud with Disney to criticisms about his supposed lack of charisma. DeSantis has also consistently lagged behind Trump, per multiple GOP primary polls.
Representatives for the DeSantis campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.