President Trump claims Newsom is unfit to be president because he has dyslexia
President Trump has said that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s dyslexia should disqualify him from serving as president, adding to the ongoing political conflict between the two.
President Donald Trump said no president should have a “learning disability” and specifically criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, for speaking out publicly about his dyslexia.
Newsom devoted a special section of his memoir, “Youth in a Hurry,” to sharing how he coped. Learning disabilities affect a person’s ability to read, write, and spell.
“There are people with low IQs,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on March 17, referring to Newsom. “Honestly, I’m all for people with learning disabilities, but I’m not for the president. I don’t think the president should have a learning disability.”
Trump added: “Everything about him is ridiculous.”
Newsom responded to President Trump’s comments by defending himself and people with disabilities.
“To all the kids with learning disabilities: Don’t let anyone bully you, even the President of the United States. Dyslexia is not a weakness. It’s your strength,” Newsom wrote on X.
Trump’s comments stemmed from a conversation between Newsom and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens in February as part of the governor’s book tour. In it, Newsom talked about his struggle with dyslexia. Low SAT scores and difficulty reading speeches.
President Trump, who called the California governor “Gavin Newscam,” called the interview “the most self-defeating interview I’ve ever seen.”
“He has suddenly removed himself from being seen as the deranged Democratic presidential candidate (as evidenced by his State of the Union address). In his speech, he said he was unintelligent, had low grades, couldn’t read, was dyslexic, had a mental disorder, or cognitive disorder,” Trump posted on Truth Social on March 11.
In response to Trump’s post, Newsom defended himself while criticizing Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran.
“I talked about my dyslexia. I know that’s hard for brain-dead idiots who bomb children and protect pedophiles to understand,” Newsom posted on X.
Noe Padilla is a Northern California reporter for USA Today. To contact him, npadilla@usatodayco.comX Follow him at @1NoePadilla or Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social..
