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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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President Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters and other conservatives have attacked California Governor Gavin Newsom over remarks he made during a stop on his book tour in Atlanta.
Newsom spoke candidly about living with dyslexia and his struggles with reading during a conversation with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens at the Rialto Center for the Arts on Saturday evening.
“I’m not trying to impress you, I’m just trying to impress upon you, I’m like you. I’m no better than you,” he said. “You know, I’m a 960 SAT guy.” He later said, "You’ve never seen me read a speech, because I cannot read a speech."
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A 38-second clip of his comments was shared on X by the conservative End Wokeness account, with a caption saying Newsom had made the remarks to a Black crowd, prompting critics to decry Newsom’s comments as derogatory to Black people.
However, a video posted on social media showed a diverse audience, with a significant number of white attendees.
Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, told Newsweek the reaction is "MAGA-manufactured outrage," adding that the governor "has said this publicly for years—including with Charlie Kirk and dozens of other audiences."
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Why It Matters
Newsom is widely expected to mount a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, as he continues to build a national profile beyond his home state. His book tour for his memoir, Young Man in a Hurry, makes stops in some key presidential primary states.
The governor has frequently mocked Trump by using the president’s social media style and successfully pushed to have California’s congressional maps redrawn in Democrats’ favor to counter the president's efforts to redraw House districts to give Republicans an advantage in Texas and other blue states.
What To Know
Asked by Dickens what Newsom would want readers to take away from his memoir, Newsom described it as “a story about resilience, redemption…humility and grace.”
He said: “I’m not trying to be someone I'm not, I can't do that anymore. I tried that for a long time, and I wasn't happy. And I say to kids all the time, 'learn from, don't follow others.'”
He went on to say: "I just want to put it all out there. I'm not, you know, I'm not trying to impress you, I’m just trying to impress upon you, I’m like you. I’m no better than you. You know, I’m a 960 SAT guy.”
He added: “You’ve never seen me read a speech, because I cannot read a speech…I haven’t overcome dyslexia. I’m living with it.”
On social media, conservatives and Trump supporters reacted with outrage to the 38-second clip of Newsom’s remarks posted by the End Wokeness account.
Rapper Nicki Minaj, a Trump supporter, said on X that Newsom’s “way of bonding with Black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read,” while Texas Senator Ted Cruz called it the “soft bigotry of low expectations.”
Florida Representative Randy Fine, a Florida Republican, said he hoped his Democratic colleagues would demand Newsom’s resignation. Newsom recently called Fine a “racist slob” over comments he made about Muslims and called on him to resign.
What People Are Saying
California Governor Gavin Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon told Newsweek: "First MAGA mocked his dyslexia and now they’re calling him racist for talking about his low SAT scores. This is MAGA-manufactured outrage. The governor has said this publicly for years—including with Charlie Kirk and dozens of other audiences. The same people who excused or ignored Trump’s racist ape video can go f*** themselves."
Representative Randy Fine wrote on X: “Gavin Newsom just said he is like a Black person because he got a bad SAT score and can’t read. I wish I could come up with something witty, but it’s so disgusting, I can’t. I look forward to all my Democrat colleagues in Congress demanding his resignation tomorrow.”
Nicki Minaj wrote on X: “His way of bonding with Black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read. This means my first read on him was correct. He’s been handed so many things & put in high positions he never earned or deserved.”
The conservative Libs of TikTok account wrote on X: “Gavin Newscum just told a crowd of Black people that they’re stupid and can’t read.
The post added that Democrats “are insanely racist.”
Newsom wrote on X, alongside a minute-long clip from the event in Atlanta: “My mom didn’t want my dyslexia to hold me back. I wrote a book about the impact she, and others, had on my life. It’s called Young Man in a Hurry and it’s out on February 24th.”
What Happens Next
Newsom's next stops on the book tour are in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Update 2/24/26, 3:50 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to add comment from Izzy Gardon.
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