DeSantis’s Fake Churchill Quote Actually Comes From a 1938 Budweiser Ad

(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) received a bevy of mockery over the weekend when he misquoted Winston Churchill while suspending his failed presidential campaign.

DeSantis posted a four-minute clip to X on Sunday ending his campaign and cited Churchill, saying, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

Pundits and observers were quick to note that Churchill said no such thing and many saw the gaffe as part and parcel for why DeSantis’s campaign never got off the ground.

“Perfect that DeSantis goes out with a faux Churchill quote. Indicative of his disdain for facts,” reacted columnist and author Max Boot, exemplifying the scorn DeSantis received.

BBC Verify’s Shayan Sardarizadeh traced back the original source of the quote on Sunday evening, noting it “is actually from a Budweiser ad in 1938.”

Sardarizadeh tweeted out an image of the ad, which was titled, “YOU CAN’T TELL HIM, THERE’S NO FISHIN’.”

“Let the Weather Man talk. Let the experts scoff. Youth goes fish- ing for the fun of it…in all kinds of weather… in all kinds of waters,” read the historic piece of Americana, adding:

The man who has lost the spirit of youth is too busy with gloomy forecasts to gather bait, much less go fishing.

Men with the spirit of youth pio- neered our America… men with vision and sturdy confidence. They found contentment in the thrill of action, knowing that success was never final and failure never fatal. It was courage that counted. Isn’t opportunity in America today greater than it was in the days of our grateful forefathers?

Live Life… Every golden minute of it Enjoy Budweiser … Every golden drop of it

Political pundit Charlie Sykes replied to Sardarizadeh’s tweet, noting, “DeSantis’ bogus Churchill quote actually comes from a 1938 Budweiser ad. (chef’s kiss).”