Snopes - Gavin Newsom said he's sending knee pads to anyone 'bending the knee' to Trump

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Claim: California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he's sending knee pads to CEOs, universities and Republicans who were "bending the knee" to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Rating: Correct Attribution

A video of California Gov. Gavin Newsom apparently saying he would send knee pads to people and organizations like CEOs, universities and Republicans who were "bending the knee" to Trump circulated on social media in late October 2025. Social media users posted the video on sites like Instagram (archived) and Facebook (archived). One X post (archived) of the video received over 70,000 views.

Link to tweet

The clip of Newsom saying the quote was said to come from a press event held during the three-day "2025 California Economic Summit" that took place in Stockton from Oct. 21 to Oct. 23, 2025. The annual summit featured several speakers, including Newsom, on Oct. 22. Newsom posted the clip to his official X account (archived) with the following caption:

COMING SOON — NEW KNEE PADS FOR ALL CEO's, UNIVERSITIES, AND GOP BENDING THE KNEE TO DONALD TRUMP. YOUR KNEES LOOK VERY SORE FROM ALL YOUR GROVELING. THEY WILL EVEN BE SIGNED BY YOUR DEAR LEADER SINCE YOU LOVE HIM SO MUCH! YOU ARE WELCOME!!!!

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/gavin-newsom-knee-pads/