Ron DeSantis Meme Campaign Ads Controversy

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Part of a series on DeSantis 2024. [View Related Entries]

Overview

Ron DeSantis Meme Campaign Ads Controversy refers to a July 2023 controversy about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and two videos that were retweeted by his campaign staffers in mid-2023 that used controversial memetic imagery. The first video was a Sigma Male video that included Patrick Bateman, Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders and Gigachad (among other hyper-masculine meme symbols and characters), which many perceived as promoting an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda. The second video used the Doomer Wojak but was ultimately dubbed a Nazi video by many due to its inclusion of the Black Sun symbol and flag. The DeSantis 2024 campaign retweeted the videos on Twitter, purporting that they were fan-made. However, many initially speculated that the DeSantis campaign had them commissioned and then astroturfed them to portray imagined support. Days later, the DeSantis campaign confirmed that a staffer (speech writer Nate Hochman) had made the Nazi video. Hochman was fired by the DeSantis campaign soon after.

History

Ron DeSantis "Sigma Male" Ad

On June 30th, 2023, Twitter^[1] user @ProudElephantUS posted a video (since deleted) that was a Ron DeSantis fancam that portrayed support for DeSantis' anti-LGBTQ+ policies in the state of Florida, contrasting them to soundbites and images of former U.S. President Donald Trump seemingly supporting the LGBTQ+. The video notably used "sigma male" imagery and phonk music. Over the course of six days, the tweet gained over 147,000 views and 800 likes before being deleted.^[1]

Notably, the video was retweeted by DeSantis' campaign Twitter^[2] account @DeSantisWarRoom on June 30th, which received roughly 7,900 likes in one month. The video is still accessible via a repost from the Twitter^[3] account crazy ass moments in american politics, which was posted on June 30th, gaining roughly 5,700 likes in one month (shown below).

After the video was posted and retweeted by @DeSantisWarRoom, it gained reactions and backlash online. For instance, on July 1st, 2023, Twitter^[4] user @beatmastermatt replied to @ampol_moment, writing, "It's freaking me out that Trump is way more progressive than DeSantis on social issues," gaining roughly 1,300 likes in three weeks. On July 3rd, 2023, Twitter^[5] user @haramcart tweeted a Pepe in a tuxedo, making fun of an imagined "college republican wearing a tuxedo tshirt watching the desantis ad," gaining roughly 1,300 likes in three weeks (shown below).

Peaky Blinders Responds to DeSantis Ad

On July 5th, 2023, the blue check Twitter^[6] account for the show Peaky Blinders responded to the DeSantis video which included various clips of the character Thomas Shelby (played by actor Cillian Murphy). The Peaky Blinders team condemned the video and claimed that the footage from the show "was obtained without permission or official license." The tweet gained roughly 159,200 likes in three weeks (shown below).

The response from the Peaky Blinders team gained news coverage from outlets like Mashable.^[7] Due to the tweet, the video was later deleted on Twitter.

Ron DeSantis "Nazi Black Sun" Ad

On July 23rd, 2023, Twitter^[8] user @ltthompso posted a DeSantis-related video (similar to the aforementioned "sigma male" one) that he claimed was originally posted by the Twitter^[9] account @desantiscams and then deleted when "at least one campaign staffer RT'd it." @ltthompso additionally wrote, "I wonder if this was also made in-house." In the video, a Doomer Wojak is seen looking at his computer on which Trump-related headlines are appearing. DeSantis then appears in a doorway and the video continues with DeSantis and Florida-related imagery. Also, at one point in the video, a recreation of the Nazi "Black Sun" symbol appears with DeSantis and the Florida state flag. @ltthompso's tweet gained roughly 7,500 likes in one day (shown below).

The @desantiscams account just deleted this video after at least one campaign staffer RT'd it. I wonder if this was also made in-house. pic.twitter.com/JA1D9qqONF

— Luke Thompson (@ltthompso) July 23, 2023

Soon after, the video accumulated backlash and reactions online. For instance, many reactions centered on the Nazi imagery of the video. For instance, Twitter^[10] user @PopulismUpdates posted a tweet on July 23rd, which included a screenshot of the "black sun" in the video, captioned, "This image appeared in a video that was retweeted by the DeSantis campaign (and then quickly deleted)," gaining roughly 25,800 likes in one day (shown below).

Also on July 23rd, 2023, Twitter^[11] user @StyledApe tweeted a different clip from the video in which DeSantis slowly appeared in a dark doorway, captioning it, "This part of the video is unintentionally hilarious," gaining roughly 1,500 likes in one day (shown below).

This part of the video is unintentionally hilarious https://t.co/9St7M0PFp5 pic.twitter.com/gxr2ljv5Z3

— charlie (@StyledApe) July 23, 2023

Developments

Staffer Nate Hochman Fired

On July 25th, 2023, news outlet Semaphor^[12] published an article titled "Ron De Santis Fires Staffer Who Shared Video with Fascist Imagery," which relayed information from a source close to DeSantis' campaign that staffer, speechwriter and former writer for the National Review Nate Hochman (shown below) had been fired by the campaign for making and then retweeting the aforementioned Nazi "black sun" video (originally posted to the account @desantiscams). The news was quickly echoed by other news outlets like Axios^[13] on July 25th.

Following Hochman's dismissal on July 25th, Twitter^[14] user @PopulismUpdates quote retweeted their precursor viral tweet^[10] about the "black sun" video with a link to the article by Axios,^[13] additionally writing, "Oh my lord The staffer MADE the video." The QRT gained roughly 7,000 likes in less than a day (shown below, left). On July 26th, Twitter^[15] user @AurumCorpus QRT'd DeSantis' account, comparing DeSantis' ads to the Adolf Hitler Epic Rap Battles of History video (shown below, right).