Leave it to our smug “misinformation” governance overlords to be the orchestrators of B.S. all along.
Less than two days after California Governor Gavin Newsom giddily posted a “fact-checking” website targeting “right-wing misinformation,” he was caught using fake Shutterstock footage from Ukraine and Estonia in an advertisement pretending to showcase his own state.
The ad was Newsom’s attempt to blast the Trump administration on tariffs and prop up California as some economic utopia. He was so confident in his propaganda that he even paid for it to be aired on Fox News, but rushed to post it on X before they had the chance.
“We’re airing this on Fox News all weekend to send the Trump administration a clear message,” proclaimed the self-congratulating governor. But the “message” fell flat when social media quickly exposed it for being a sloppy fake news job.
"If you're going to brag about California, you may want to start by not using footage from Ukraine and Estonia," responded one X user. Newsom was even fact checked by the network that was supposed to do his ad the favor.
Related: CNN Calls Out Gavin Newsom Lying That His Office Has Never Used 'Latinx'
Fox News revealed all it took was a quick search to discover warehouse footage used in his commercial was taken in Ukraine by a Ukrainian photographer, Artie Medvedev. Its office footage was filmed by a company named Gorodenkoff Productions, which is based in Estonia.
Whoopsie! The governor was a bit too fast on the trigger.
Newsom’s team quickly deleted his ad from X before reposting a modified version, thinking nobody would notice.
Donald Trump’s tariffs are wreaking havoc on our economy.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) May 9, 2025
We’re airing this on Fox News all weekend to send the Trump administration a clear message:
Stop punishing American families. pic.twitter.com/f83p92Qilb
But it was too late. All the pride he had in his garbage-riddled masterpiece is now overshadowed (and ratioed) with shame.
California’s comrade in-chief is once again recognized as a tool.
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