‘The Cruelest’: Anderson Cooper Shreds Trump for ’Stigmatizing Millions of Kids With Learning Disabilities’

CNN’s Anderson Cooper shredded President Donald Trump on Thursday over his characterization of dyslexia as a “mental disability,” calling out the president for choosing “the cruelest” way to attack his political enemies.

Trump claimed at a Thursday cabinet meeting that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) disqualified himself from the 2028 presidential race when he “admitted” to having a “mental disability,” referring to the governor’s frequent discussion of his struggle with dyslexia.

“I don’t want a person with mental disability to be my president. You don’t want to have a person with a mental disability being your president. And Gavin Newsom said he can’t read a speech, he can’t do almost anything,” said Trump. “He’s actually a very stupid person. So, I believe he is out of the running. I think that statement, that interview, he admitted he is a stupid person. I don’t want a stupid person being president.”

Cooper, who himself struggled with dyslexia as a child, hit back at the president’s claims, telling viewers Trump was displaying “his own ignorance” of dyslexia before providing examples of intelligent and successful figures who live with this type of neurodivergence.

“Well, the president shows his own ignorance when he claims that people living with dyslexia are somehow dumb,” he said. “If the president actually read books or anything on the topic, he would know that– he would know that.”

The host then pointed out that Trump’s former close advisor, Gary Cohn, has severe dyslexia, noting that the White House press release announcing his appointment actually mentioned this as part of his “inspiring personal story.”

“He could also have asked Gary Cohn, his chief economic advisor in his first term. Cohn was profiled by writer Malcolm Gladwell as someone whose severe dyslexia forced him to develop remarkable memorization skills,” he said. “Someone in the White House back then read that book because when president elect trump first announced Cohen’s appointment, he– the press release actually highlighted Cohen’s dyslexia. Quote, ‘In addition to his incredible business history, Mr. Cohen has an inspiring personal story. He was diagnosed at age seven with dyslexia, which made it difficult for him to read and spell.’ Apparently, President Trump didn’t read that either.”

After discussing other examples of prominent people with dyslexia, Cooper took a jab at Trump himself, noting that “even those who don’t have dyslexia can still sometimes struggle with reading teleprompters and getting their words out.” The host then played a montage of Trump having trouble reading and flubbing words.

“There’s many ways the president could have chosen to go after a political opponent,” said Cooper in closing. “Doing it by stigmatizing millions of kids with learning disabilities – that seems to be just about the cruelest.”

Watch above via CNN.

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