A comment California Governor Gavin Newsom made in Atlanta, Georgia, to an audience of predominantly Black people has sparked backlash on social media. Newsom was in Atlanta as part of a tour to promote his new book, ‘Young Man in a Hurry.’
Newsom was joined on the stage by Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens. As the two were discussing the upcoming book, Newsom made a seemingly awkward comment about his SAT score that was interpreted by many as racist.
“I’m not trying to impress you, I’m just trying to impress upon you, ‘I’m like you. I’m not better than you.’ I’m a 960 SAT guy,” he said. “And I’m not trying to offend anyone; I’m not trying to act all there if you got 940 … You’ve never seen me read a speech because I cannot read a speech.”
Especially those in Trump’s MAGA camp hit back at the potential Democratic Party presidential candidate for the 2028 election.
Rapper Nicki Minaj, one of Trump’s prominent supporters in the entertainment industry, was among the first to hit back at Newsom over his comments.
“His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read,” Minaj wrote. “This means my first read on him was correct. He’s been handed so many things & put in high positions he never earned or deserved.”
“Just as bad as Biden’s ‘Poor kids are just as bright as white kids,’ and Hochul’s ‘Black children don’t know what a computer is.’ What an insult!” one user wrote.
“How did this clown make it this far in life?” added one.
“How insulting. Working class people believe politicians are out of touch because they don’t worry about the cost or rent or medical bills,” added one.
“I wish I could come up with something witty, but it’s so disgusting, I can’t,” Congressman Randy Fine wrote. “I look forward to all my Democrat colleagues in Congress demanding his resignation tomorrow.”
Newsom, 58, is a graduate of Santa Clara University. According to College Board 2024 data, the average SAT scores for African American students comes out to around 907. They make up around 12% of the test takers.
Meanwhile, for White students, it comes out to an average of 1083. The total score on SAT in 1600.
What To Know About Newsom’s Memoir
Newsom’s upcoming memoir, ‘Young Man in a Hurry’, offers a personal account of his life. It encompasses his childhood struggles with dyslexia and family instability, to his rise in business and politics. It’s set to be published on February 24 and has been named one of The New York Times’ most anticipated books of the year.
Newsom calls it a “truly vulnerable” memoir focused on identity and belonging. Analysts see it as a part of Newsom’s potential bid for the White House in 2028.
