California Gov. Gavin Newsom sparked controversy at an Atlanta event by telling Black Mayor Andre Dickens, “I’m like you,” pointing to his 960 SAT score and reading struggles due to dyslexia, seen as insensitive pandering that was utterly absurd and quite rude.
In response, journalist Susan Crabtree requested proof of his 1972 childhood diagnosis or recent evidence; Newsom’s comms team lashed out, “f**k off.” California GOP Chair Corrin Rankin blasted it as revealing Newsom’s belief in Black intellectual inferiority, akin to Jim Crow mindsets, calling it a career-haunting lie he should be embarrassed by.
Laying out the story, the journalist began,”🚨🚨EXCLUSIVE and BREAKING: What about that @GavinNewsom dyslexia disgnosis – can the gov. provide any paperwork related to his dyslexia diagnosis at any time of his life? Newsom’s comms team just now tells me to “f**k off,” asking, “Think @GavinNewsom’s comms team is losing it today?”
In her respectful email, Susan Crabtree wrote, “Hi there, I know any type of learning disability is very sensitive. But I also see that Gov. Newsom and his press team have been using the diagnosis to hit back at Sean Hannity and other critics in the wake of Newsom’s comments over the weekend that he had his 960 so “I’m like you,” which he said to a black moderator.”
Continuing her investigation, the Real Clear Politics reporter asked, “Gov. Newsom has claimed that he found the paperwork from his childhood about his dyslexia after his father died in 2018. If that’s the case, does he have it so he can demonstrate that he was given a dyslexia diagnosis early on in his childhood?”
“Newsom also has said he was diagnosed with dyslexia in 1972 — that would be when he was five or six. Is there anything the governor can point to as proof of this?” she concluded, “If the early paperwork is not available, is there any evidence of a more recent dyslexia diagnosis he can provide?”
Gavin Newsom’s team did not give a straight answer. It didn’t give any real answer, in fact. Izzy Gardon, Director of Communications for the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, responded to the polite and straightforward questions by saying, “Hey, Susan -thanks for reaching out. Respectfully, f*ck off. Izzy”
"*" indicates required fields
For context, while speaking to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who is black, at a political event, Newsom claimed, “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
“And I’m not trying to offend anyone,” the potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate added, “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,” which was widely seen as insensitive.
Reacting to the situation, California GOP leaderCorrin Rankin blasted Newsom for “Trying to blame this on dyslexia is something that is completely separate from what he intended to say,” adding, “He truly believes that Black people, black Americans, are intellectually inferior. That is where his comments were coming from.”
“It should start ringing hollow, especially, you know what’s Jim Crow? Thinking that Black people are intellectually inferior, that’s the mindset that contributed to Jim Crow,” she asked, “It’s the mindset of thinking that Black people are inferior, they’re intellectually inferior, that they’re not smart and that was the reason to hold Black people down the reason being that Black people aren’t as smart as other people.”
Watch the clip here:
.@GavinNewsom Thinks a 960 SAT Makes Him ‘Like’ Black Americans. Let That Sink In. pic.twitter.com/6tOo7L3fqr
— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) February 23, 2026
Concluding her comments, she added, “It’s a lie, we all know it’s a lie, and the fact that anyone, especially and including the governor of California, would perpetuate that lie. And that false narrative, it’s beyond insulting. And honestly, he should be embarrassed.”
Featured image from embedded video