California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing backlash after a viral video clip showing him discussing his low SAT score and struggles with reading sparked accusations of pandering and condescension.
The controversy began when the conservative X account End Wokeness shared footage of Newsom speaking with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. In the clip — viewed more than 40 million times — Newsom says, “I’m like you,” before explaining that he had difficulty reading and performed poorly on his SAT.
Many conservatives interpreted the exchange as an attempt to pander to Black voters, with some critics labeling the remarks offensive or racially tone-deaf.
Corrin Rankin, the first Black chairwoman of the California Republican Party, sharply criticized the governor’s comments.
“My first instinct was I couldn’t believe that the governor of California was saying something like this in 2026,” Rankin told Fox News Digital. She argued that the remarks reflected a broader issue with how some Democrats communicate with Black voters.
“You can’t go around and say that a segment of your state is intellectually inferior and think you’re gonna represent Americans,” Rankin said, suggesting the moment could damage Newsom’s widely speculated 2028 presidential ambitions. “This is gonna haunt him for the rest of his career.”
Newsom pushed back against the criticism, stating that his comments were about his dyslexia — something he has spoken publicly about in the past. His spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, characterized the backlash as politically motivated.
“First MAGA mocked his dyslexia, and now they’re calling him racist for talking about his low SAT scores,” Gardon said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This is MAGA-manufactured outrage. The Governor has said this publicly for years.”
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens also defended Newsom, writing on Instagram that the moment was “a moment of vulnerability about his own journey” and “wasn’t an attack on anyone.”
Rankin rejected that explanation, arguing that dyslexia does not account for the broader implications she believes were embedded in the remarks. She connected the controversy to ongoing debates over voter ID laws, where Democrats — including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — have described proposed legislation as discriminatory. Rankin said framing Black Americans as unable to meet certain civic requirements echoes harmful stereotypes.
“It should start ringing hollow,” Rankin said. “Thinking that Black people are intellectually inferior — that’s the mindset that contributed to Jim Crow.”
