Gavin Newsom Accused of Racism, Demeans Black Audience on Book Tour: ‘I am like you. I’m a 960 SAT guy. I can’t read’

In another unforced error showing everyone how awkward and lacking self-awareness he is, California Governor Gavin Newsom totally demeaned a black audience while at a book tour stop in Georgia Sunday.

Gov. Newsom said to a black crowd in Georgia: “I am like you. I’m a 960 SAT guy. I can’t read.”

We asked, “Do you know anyone who at age 58 is still talking about their SAT scores? He has no self-awareness of how condescending he is, or how awkward.”

Do you know anyone who at age 58 is still talking about their SAT scores? He has no self-awareness of how condescending he is, or how awkward. https://t.co/VSgk4AYDQj

— Katy Grimes (@KATYSaccitizen) February 23, 2026

Gavin Newsom’s awkward, lilted speech, showed how uncomfortable he is in his own skin. “I’m not trying to impress you. “I’m just trying to impress upon you. I’m… like… you…” he tells Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “I’m… no… better… than… you. I’m a 960 SAT guy,” Newsom told the Atlanta Mayor.

The first question that came to mind is “Why does Gov. Newsom think the best way to relate to a black audience is by telling them he is essentially stupid and can’t read, and didn’t score well on the high school Scholastic Aptitude Test? Isn’t that patently racist?

This isn’t a one-off with Newsom condescending to a black audience. Remember in October when Gov. Newsom was widely mocked for claiming how his family had to “hustle” to pay the bills, on “All The Smoke” podcast?

Newsom said his mother “came from no money and just hustled” with “two and a half jobs” to make ends meet. “It was also about paying the bills, man. It was just like hustling, and so I was out there, kind of raising myself, turning on the TV, just getting obsessed. I was sitting there with the Wonder Bread.”

During the podcast video Newsom slips into some street slang, claiming “It was about payin’ the bills, man.” “Wonder bread and Mac ‘n cheese. That’s how I grew up, bro.” That “it was just like hustlin.” “I raised myself,” the Globe reported. Poor Gavin Newsom. Who knew he grew up poor, had to hustle to stay alive?

Newsom was cringy.

Gavin was a latchkey kid? When Gavin was featured in a “Children of the Rich” article in 1991 at the age of 25, that pretty much put the latchkey kid from the Larchmont Homes tract-housing act to rest… until now, as Newsom longs to be America’s next President.

We weren’t alone with our questions, and many others said the governor’s racism shone through.

I wake up to see 90% of my feed being @GavinNewsom being a massive racist.

Anyone else?

pic.twitter.com/jXvkXozT5W

— Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) February 23, 2026

Nicki Minaj posted:

His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read. 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. Do you wanna know the craziest part of this footage that will haunt him forever? He’s literally slowing his speech down & talking in a sporadic cadence. He’s not just TELLING them that they’re all probably stupid & probably can’t read, he’s LITERALLY SLOW-ING-DOWN-HIS-SPEECH to make them understand the words that are coming out of his mouth!!!! As if they’re children!!!! That means he REALLY BELIEVES they’re slow. He’s not just saying it—he didn’t misspeak!!!! He BELIEVES it!!!! Do ya love it?!?!! Do ya just love it, black ppl?!????

His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read.

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.

Do you wanna know the craziest part of this footage that… https://t.co/llo1k7F7wB

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) February 23, 2026

This is a textbook case of the soft bigotry of low expectations, which describes a patronizing attitude, cloaked as kindness, that assumes certain people are capable of less because of their race or background.

As expected, msNOW Bulwark Podcast Tim Miller host came to Newsom’s indefensible defense:

I think this is an example of the right making a mistake that the left often made with Trump. Making a quote go viral because they thought it was “offensive” but that actually humanizes and helps the candidate. Many such cases with Trump. Gavin sounds normal and funny here.”

Miller thinks Newsom’s comments “humanized” him? That tells you a lot of the mind of a leftist.

I think this is an example of the right making a mistake that the left often made with Trump.

Making a quote go viral because they thought it was "offensive" but that actually humanizes and helps the candidate. Many such cases with Trump. Gavin sounds normal and funny here. https://t.co/hyCIcqeqSb

— Tim Miller (@Timodc) February 23, 2026

Here is the All the Smoke podcast: