No—Kid Rock did not endorse Gavin Newsom. On August 17, 2025, Newsom’s press office posted a satirical image portraying the musician as backing the governor. Kid Rock objected soon afterward, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Was the Kid Rock endorsement image real?
No. The image was a parody posted by Gavin Newsom’s press office, not a genuine statement of support by Kid Rock. Lead Stories identifies the August 17, 2025, X post as satirical.
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The image depicted Rock dressed as Uncle Sam and carried the message “Kid Rock wants YOU to support Gavin Newsom.” The press office captioned it “I ACCEPT! — GCN,” wording that framed the gag as if Newsom were accepting an endorsement. These lines are reproduced by the Los Angeles Times.
Why was Kid Rock mad at Gavin Newsom?
Rock objected to being portrayed as supporting Newsom. The Los Angeles Times reported that he responded in less than an hour, denying support for the governor and insulting him. The exchange was a reaction to the parody image, not evidence of an actual political endorsement.
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Newsom’s press office kept the joke going in subsequent posts. The Los Angeles Times reported a later line reading “I HATE KID ROCK !!! — GCN,” followed on Tuesday by another post joking that Rock was no longer “hot.” These were social-media gags attributed to the press office, not formal statements from the governor.
What was the joke referencing?
The parody echoed Donald Trump’s September 2024 Truth Social post that paired “I accept!” with AI-generated imagery falsely suggesting Taylor Swift endorsed him. The two incidents are related as jokes about fabricated celebrity endorsements, but they are not the same: Newsom’s office made a parody image about Kid Rock, while Trump’s post used AI-generated images that falsely implied Swift’s support. Lead Stories and the Los Angeles Times describe the connection.
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What is established about the posts?
The reported date of Newsom’s office’s original X post is August 17, 2025. The available accounts describe the image, Rock’s response and the press office’s follow-up posts. They do not establish whether the original posts remain available or whether either participant made a later response.
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