Gavin Newsom Gets Eviscerated for Low SAT Score Comment: ‘Could He Be More Racist?’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is getting skewered for what some critics are calling a racist attempt to appeal to Black voters by saying his low SAT scores show he is just like them. Newsom made the controversial comment during an Atlanta tour stop to promote his memoir, Young Man in a Hurry, on Sunday.

“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,” Newsom said. “I’m a 960 SAT guy. And you know, I’m not trying to offend anyone [and] act ‘all there’ if you got 940. But literally a 960 SAT guy.”

Newsom then said the public has “never seen me read a speech, because I cannot read a speech” due to dyslexia. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (D) was interviewing the governor when he made the comments at the Rialto Center for the Arts.

Those remarks quickly vent viral on X on Sunday night and Monday morning. The “End Wokeness” X account appears to be the first account to have shared the clip, which had racked up nearly 33 million views on the platform by noon on Monday.

A number of prominent media and political figures lambasted Newsom.

“Newsom Thinks a 960 SAT Makes Him ‘Like’ Black Americans. Let That Sink In,” Fox News star Sean Hannity posted.

Megyn Kelly said the Newsom’s comments would “haunt him forever.”

Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) said Newsom “just called black kids stupid. Voter ID isn’t racist. But Newsom sure is.”

Nicki Minaj — President Donald Trump’s favorite rapper — went absolutely scorched earth on the governor, saying:

He’s not just TELLING them that they’re all probably stupid & probably can’t read, he’s LITERALLY SLOW-ING-DOWN-HIS-SPEECH to make them understand the words that are coming out of his mouth!!!! As if they’re children!!!! That means he REALLY BELIEVES they’re slow. He’s not just saying it—he didn’t misspeak!!!! He BELIEVES it!!!!

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said Newsom’s comments revealed “the soft bigotry of low expectations.”

Outkick’s Clay Travis wondered if any Democrats planning to run for president in 2028 would call him out for the “moronic” statement.

And plenty of others called it racist:

Newsom’s next tour stop is in Rock Hill, South Carolina on Monday night. Watch his comments in the clip above from Newsom’s YouTube account.

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