During a northern Kentucky event on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom, suggesting he is unsuitable for presidential office due to “mental problems,” indirectly alluding to President Joe Biden.
Trump claimed the governor had openly acknowledged his mental challenges, describing him as lacking intelligence. This comment references Newsom’s memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry,” where he candidly discusses his experience with dyslexia, a prevalent learning disorder.
“He struggles to deliver a speech because he can’t read properly, among other issues he admitted. He said he faces numerous mental challenges,” Trump remarked about Newsom.
While Trump stated, “There’s nothing wrong with it,” he emphasized that he believes the President of the United States should not have any cognitive impairments.
“When he admitted this, I thought to myself, I think he’s just lost his chance at the Democratic nomination,” Trump concluded.
“When he admitted this, I said, I think he just lost the Democrat nomination,” he added.
Newsom fired back the president in a post on his press office’s X account, sharing a clip of Trump’s remarks while adding a similar jab.
“Grandpa’s talking about himself again. We wish him well — it’s never too late to seek mental treatment,” the post read.
Newsom revealed in the past that he was diagnosed with dyslexia in 1972, when he was around 5 years old.
The diagnosis was thrust back into the spotlight after he mentioned the disorder at an event in Atlanta last month while promoting his new memoir.
The governor’s comments followed an earlier attack from his press office on X Wednesday. The post called out Trump’s swollen ankles this week after a photo spread online. The image showed Secretary of State Marco Rubio in shoes that seemed too big, bringing back an ongoing debate about Trump’s gift-giving and his visible health issues.
“Maybe Trump just assumes everyone else has swollen ankles,” the governor’s press office wrote on X.
The two leaders have been trading barbs frequently — with Newsom continuing his criticism of Trump’s handling of the ongoing war in the Middle East.
“Drone issues have been top of mind,” Newsom said during a news conference Tuesday to announce new funding for mental health and drug treatment as it relates to homelessness.
“We’ve been aware of that information, we’ve been working collaboratively with the [State Operations Center],” he added, referring to California’s emergency and disaster management agency.
Newsom said he has yet to discuss the threats with President Trump and cast blame on the White House for starting a war without purpose that has sent gas prices surging.
“I haven’t talked to the president directly about this and I wish the president would talk to the American people about what this is all about, what’s the end game?” Newsom said.
He added, “We’ve seen no real end game in sight when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz.”
Newsom said the state of California has been working with international partners to assess the threat of an oil shortage.
“It’s all about a posture of preparedness for worst-case scenarios,” Newsom said, adding that there are “break the glass scenarios” for rising oil costs.
“The questions are in abundance at the moment on what can happen next. We’re meeting consistently with representatives in the [oil] industry.”
He noted, “Uncertainty is the most certain feature of the Trump administration.”
