California Governor Gavin Newsom tried to fact-check conservatives over a viral protest video—but the move backfired almost immediately. Though technically accurate, his response was met with mockery and frustration as critics pointed to real-time violence erupting across Los Angeles.
The video showed protesters swarming damaged LAPD vehicles, some of which had been set on fire. Several high-profile accounts shared the footage, believing it was from the recent anti-ICE riots rocking the city. But it wasn’t.
🚨 CHAOS! Los Angeles now looking like a collapsing third world country under Mayor Bass and Governor Newscum’s lack of leadership.
— Jay Merz 🇺🇸 (@OopsYouMissed) June 8, 2025
🔥 Absolute MADNESS. pic.twitter.com/3RdvrszCfk
Community Notes on X stepped in to clarify that the video was from May 2020, during the George Floyd riots—not this week’s unrest. Newsom and his press office quickly jumped in to echo the correction. “This video is from 2020,” one post read. Another added, “FACT CHECK: This video is not from this year. Misinformation like this only adds to the chaos the Trump Administration is seeking. Check your sources before sharing info!”
Newsom’s team seemed eager to seize the opportunity to discredit his critics. But the internet wasn’t having it. Conservatives pointed out that there’s no shortage of actual footage from the current LA riots—many showing eerily similar scenes of destruction, looting, and attacks on police.
So while Newsom was technically right, critics say he missed the point. “Sure, that one video was from 2020,” one user posted, “but what about the dozens from this weekend?”
The fact-check, intended to control the narrative, only added fuel to the fire. Instead of cooling things down, it gave critics another reason to accuse the governor of dodging the real issue: current, escalating chaos in his own backyard.