Video shows California Gov. Gavin Newsom falling down airplane stairs.
No, Gov. Gavin Newsom can’t be seen slipping down airplane stairs in viral video
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This video doesn’t show California Gov. Gavin Newsom falling down airplane stairs, according to his office. Other news outlets say it shows Sen. Tommy Tuberville years ago.
President Joe Biden has slipped on the stairs boarding Air Force One, and a recent video spreading on social media suggests that California Gov. Gavin Newsom stumbles when he flies, too.
“Newsom and Biden have a lot in common,” reads the text in a video that shows a man slipping and then sliding down a set of airplane stairs.
A Nov. 2 Instagram post sharing the video was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
A Newsom spokesperson told PolitiFact the video doesn’t feature the Democratic California governor.
Alabama Media Group and Newsweek, meanwhile, reported Oct. 16 that the video shows U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., falling down a set of plane stairs in 2014, when hecoached the University of Cincinnati football team.
Tuberville’s office did not immediately respond to PolitiFact’s query about the video.
We rate claims this video shows Newsom False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, Nov. 2, 2023
Forbes, Biden Slips On Air Force One Stairs After Staff Try To Prevent Major Falls—As Gaffes Raise Concerns About His Age, Sept. 26, 2023
Al.com, That viral video of Tommy Tuberville falling down stairs? It’s not what you think, Oct. 16, 2023
Newsweek, Tommy Tuberville Falling Down Plane Stairs Sparks Flood of Mockery, Oct. 11, 2023
Email interview with Brandon Richards, deputy director of communications, Gov. Gavin Newsome, Nov. 7, 2023
