Gavin Newsom Hits Back at 'MAGA-Manufactured Outrage' - Newsweek

California Governor Gavin Newsom has denounced "MAGA-manufactured outrage" after President Donald Trump's supporters and other critics attacked him over remarks he made about living with dyslexia during a stop on his book tour in Atlanta.

"First MAGA mocked his dyslexia and now they’re calling him racist for talking about his low SAT scores. This is MAGA-manufactured outrage," Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, told Newsweek. "The governor has said this publicly for years—including with Charlie Kirk and dozens of other audiences."

Newsom said 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. 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."

Critics said Newsom's remarks were racist after a short clip of his comments went viral after being shared by the conservative End Wokeness account on X, with a caption saying he was speaking to a Black audience. A video posted on social media showed a diverse audience, with a significant number of white attendees.

Why It Matters

Newsom, the governor of the most populous state, is widely expected to launch a 2028 bid for the White House. The 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 states.

What To Know

Newsom also hit back at Fox News host Sean Hannity, who shared a clip of Newsom's remarks on X and said that the California governor "Thinks a 960 SAT Makes Him 'Like' Black Americans."

Newsom wrote that Hannity did not "give a s***" about Trump posting a racist video of former president Barack Obama or when Trump called African nations "s***hole countries."

Dickens, who is Black, defended Newsom in a post on Facebook, saying "context matters more than a headline."

He said Newsom's was "speaking about his own academic struggles, including not doing well on the SAT. That wasn’t an attack on anyone. It was a moment of vulnerability about his own journey."

During the conversation, Dickens had asked Newsom what he 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.”

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 videocan go f*** themselves."

Newsom wrote on X in response to Sean Hannity's post: "You didn’t give a s*** about the President of the United States of America posting an ape video of President Obama or calling African nations sholes—but you’re going to call me racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia? Spare me your fake f**** outrage, Sean."

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens wrote on Facebook: "Take it from someone who was actually in the chair asking the questions: context matters more than a headline. The conversation around his new book included him speaking about his own academic struggles, including not doing well on the SAT. That wasn’t an attack on anyone. It was a moment of vulnerability about his own journey.

"We’ve gotten so used to loud, chest-pounding politics that when someone speaks about shortcomings, people try to twist it into something else. Let me be clear though. This is Atlanta. We don’t need anyone to tell us when to be offended. And history has shown... when we are, you’ll know."

Republican Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina, who is Black and condemned Trump for the post featuring the Obamas as apes, wrote on X: "Sean Hannity is absolutely right! Gavin Newsom suffers from the 'bigotry of low expectations' and I for one am tired of Democrats (including the likes of [New York Governor] Kathy Hochul and Joe Biden) stereotyping Black people."

Representative Randy Fine, a Florida Republican, 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.”

Rapper 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.”

What Happens Next

Newsom's book tour includes stops in New York City and San Francisco later in February.

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