Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on Gavin Newsom, mocking the California governor’s dyslexia and questioning his qualifications for the presidency due to a “learning disability” and alleged “low IQ.”
“While I support individuals with learning disabilities, I don’t think such a person should be president. The role demands someone without these challenges,” Trump remarked to reporters at the Oval Office on Monday.
He continued, “I realize some might find this statement offensive. However, Gavin Newscum—yes, I said it—who some call the ‘president of the United States,’ has openly admitted to having learning disabilities, including dyslexia. It’s all just foolishness,” using a disparaging nickname for Newsom.
Newsom fired back, mocking Trump for his slip-up of referring to him as the “president of the United States.”
“NO THANK YOU, WE BELIEVE IN FAIR ELECTIONS!” Newsom retorted on X.
Governor Newsom has been open about his dyslexia, detailing his experiences with the condition in his memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry.”
The neurodevelopmental condition, which can affect reading and spelling, caused him to doubt himself when he was younger, the governor writes in his book.
But it also afforded him “secret powers,” such as an ability to easily memorize facts and figures, he claims.
“I could read a room with the best of them. I’d walk in and immediately size up the faces, mood, and manners. On the spot, if pressured, I was able to come up with new talking points and one-liners,” Newsom writes.
The governor revealed that his school years were tortuous as he struggled with reading unaware of his diagnosis, leading his mother to once tell him, “It’s okay to be average.”
Trump’s comments echo insults he lobbed at Newsom last week, accusing him of having “mental problems” at an event in Kentucky.
“He’s unable to read a speech, he can’t read, and all of the other things he said. He said he has a lot of mental problems,” Trump said.”
“Grandpa’s talking about himself again. We wish him well — it’s never too late to seek mental treatment,” Newsom’s office hit back on X.
Trump also referred to Newsom’s SAT score, echoing critics who lambasted him as “racist” for quoting his 960 score to the black mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens, in a recent interview.
“I’ll tell you this, I think it was the worst interview I’ve ever seen of any human being,” Trump said.
