California Governor Gavin Newsom is under fire after a viral video showed him telling Atlanta’s Black mayor he’s “like you” while discussing his poor academic performance during a recent book tour event.
The Controversial Comments
Speaking to Mayor Andre Dickens at Atlanta’s Rialto Center for the Arts, Newsom said he wasn’t trying to impress anyone but wanted to show he was “just like you” and “no better than you.” The governor then revealed he scored 960 on the SAT and struggles with reading speeches due to his dyslexia. Critics interpreted these remarks as condescending toward Black voters, particularly given the context of discussing poor test scores.
Fox News contributor Joe Concha called the comments “disqualifying” and suggested they should be used in campaign ads against Newsom’s expected presidential run in 2028. The incident has sparked debate about whether the governor’s attempt at relatability crossed into inappropriate territory when addressing a Black audience.
Defense and Pushback
Newsom’s spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, dismissed the criticism as manufactured outrage, noting the governor has discussed his dyslexia and low SAT scores publicly for years with various audiences. The response also referenced previous attacks on Newsom’s learning disability and criticized those making the accusations. Mayor Dickens defended Newsom on social media, emphasizing that context matters and describing the governor’s comments as a moment of vulnerability about his academic struggles.
Political Implications
The controversy comes as Newsom, widely considered to have White House ambitions, continues his national book tour and raises his profile outside California. The incident highlights the challenges politicians face when attempting to connect with diverse audiences, particularly around sensitive topics involving race and academic achievement. Dickens urged people to watch the full conversation rather than judge based on clips, noting that Atlanta residents don’t need others telling them when to be offended.
Apparently, some people look down on others b/c of the color of their skin… GOD actually loves ALL colors. When I was a child there was a song about entitled: JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN, ALL THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD. RED AND YELLOW, BLACK AND WHITE, THEY ARE “PRECIOUS” IN HIS SIGHT… JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD!!! Newsom is WHITE, simply b/c he was born into a WHITE family… Black people are BLACK, b/c they happen to be born to a black mother and had a black father… Ahhhh… common sense, right?
WE PEOPLE HERE ON PLANET EARTH DON’T CHOOSE WHO OUR BIRTH PARENTS WILL BE DO WE? I DIDN’T SAY I WANNA BE A WHITE PERSON AND HAVE A WHITE MOTHER. THE BLACK CHILD DID NOT CHOOSE TO BE BLACK. Some blacks want to be white…Some whites might wish to be black or another race/color…
Perhaps Galvin Newsom considers himself privileged, wealthy, better than other men, especially black men…
He’s NOT any better than any other man on earth, he just has the illusion that he is better…He’s fooling himself. There are better looking, more wealthy, more educated and better men out there… Let’s remove the chips off of our shoulders and know that GOD looks at us ALL the same…Regardless our color, right is right and wrong is still wrong…
First off everyone has a place actually name after them . Tell me WHERE IS BLACK LAND AND WHY I AM A SHADE OF BROWN WE ALL ARE SHADES OF BROWN
I do not like Gavin Newsom, but in this case I do not understand the big deal. If he had done a Hillary Clinton or Kamala Harris and did their BLACK thing than maybe there would be something to be a little outraged. This sounds like something Democrats would do and fake outrage. We Republicans have more pressing concerns about Newsom than if “he is just like you.”