Rob Gronkowski is pushing back on the idea that he was campaigning for Turning Point USA on Election Day.

In a statement shared on Instagram on Thursday, the retired NFL tight end told CBS Boston that he and girlfriend Camille Kostek had stopped at Goffstown High School in New Hampshire before crossing the street to greet fans, not to appear for the conservative youth group.

“We are not endorsed by or affiliated with Turning Point USA,” Gronkowski wrote in the post.

The clarification came after a day of online criticism tied to footage filmed on Tuesday, November 3, during the 2026 US midterm elections. Clips circulating on social media showed Gronkowski and Kostek signing autographs and posing for photos near a tent carrying the Turning Point USA logo, which several posts cast as a formal campaign appearance.

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Gronkowski calls framing disappointing

Gronkowski described the past day as upsetting and said the way the moment had been framed was disappointing, according to TV Insider.

He told his followers that he and Kostek had posed with people across the political spectrum throughout the morning and that the tent stop was incidental to a day of meeting fans. Kostek reposted the statement to her own Instagram Story, according to Yahoo Sports.

A Turning Point USA spokesperson told CBS Boston that Gronkowski was not part of the group’s Election Day operation and had simply walked past its tent.

Turning Point USA at the polls

Turning Point USA is a conservative youth organization that runs voter-outreach programs on college campuses and at polling sites around the country. Its Election Day presence in New Hampshire, where state-level races drew national attention this week, meant any recognizable face photographed near its branding was going to be scrutinized.

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Gronkowski, who retired from the NFL after winning Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has largely kept his public profile apolitical. Kostek, a model and television host, has likewise not previously aligned herself publicly with a US political party.

Gronkowski ended his post by telling followers to treat everyone with kindness.

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