UPDATED, with additional Hannity comment: Media outlets on the right seized on a comment that California Governor Gavin Newsom made as he has been in the midst of a promotional tour for his new memoir.
On Sunday evening, in an appearance with Atlanta Mayor Andrew Dickens, Newsom said, “I’m not trying to impress you. I’m just trying to impress upon you, I am like you. I am no better than you. I am a 960 SAT guy. And I’m not trying to offend anyone, [or] act all there if you got 940. But literally a 960 SAT guy. You have never seen me read a speech, because I cannot read a speech.”
Newsom’s book, Young Man in a Hurry, to be published on Tuesday, chronicles his challenges with dyslexia.
Conservative outlets like FoxNews.com and the New York Post picked up on Newsom’s comment, after it spread among right wing social media figures and Donald Trump supporters like Nicki Minaj, a number of whom characterized it as racist. “His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read,” Minaj wrote on X.
For his part, Sean Hannity posted, “@GavinNewsom Thinks a 960 SAT Makes Him ‘Like’ Black Americans. Let That Sink In.”
Newsom responded, “You didn’t give a shit about the President of the United States of America posting an ape video of President Obama or calling African nations shitholes — but you’re going to call me racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia? Spare me your fake fucking outrage, Sean.”
You didn’t give a shit about the President of the United States of America posting an ape video of President Obama or calling African nations shitholes — but you’re going to call me racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia?
Spare me your fake fucking outrage,… https://t.co/ABNZJQJLcj
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 23, 2026
Hannity later responded, “Gavin Newsom you didn’t give a shit being Joe Biden’s public spokesperson knowing Joe Biden partnered with the former Klansman Robert Byrd as they tried to prevent the integration of public schools. So spare me your F’ing fake phony feigned outrage. And How about you get homeowners building permits in the Pacific Palisades instead of making an ass out of yourself daily? Just a thought…..”
Newsom’s director of communications, Izzy Gardon, posted, “First MAGA mocked his dyslexia and now they’re calling Gavin Newsom a racist for talking about his low SAT scores. This is fake MAGA-manufactured outrage. The Governor has said this publicly for years — including with Charlie Kirk and dozens of other audiences.”
Newsom, who is considering a 2028 presidential bid, had made a point to talking to podcasters like Kirk and hosts like Hannity. The governor debated Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Hannity’s show in 2023.
Bakari Sellers, the CNN political commentator and former Democratic South Carolina state lawmaker, wrote on X about Newsom’s comment, “Dems must stop doing dumb shit. I have my issues with @GavinNewsom but he’s the furthest thing from a racist. His story about overcoming dyslexia is powerful and endearing, one I wish he’d lean into more. His remarks show a blindness and were inartful. But leave it there. Donald Trump is racist. Gavin is not.”
