California Governor Gavin Newsom recently opened up that he is dyslexic, and President Donald Trump was quick to take a swipe at his learning disability, calling Newsom a “low-IQ person.” He suggested that having a learning disability should disqualify a person from the presidency.
Newsom was quick to fire back at Trump’s remarks, framing his dyslexia as a strength, rather than a weakness. Moreover, the California governor encourages children with learning disabilities not to let bullying discourage them.
During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, March 26, Trump veered away from urgent talk of the Iran war to bring up the subject of $1,000 pens and Sharpies, and also Gavin Newsom, his dyslexia and his chance of winning the presidency.
According to Trump, he has no problem with someone having a mental disability, but he said, “I don’t want a person with a mental disability to be my president. I mean, you don’t want to have a person with mental disability being a President, and Gavin Newsom said he can’t read a speech, he can’t… for almost anything.”
The president continued, “And then he said he is as dumb as all the people in the room, and he got accused of being a racist, which was an amazing… I thought it was the worst interview I have ever seen anybody give.”
He closed that part of his cabinet meeting speech by saying, “He’s actually a very stupid person, so I believe he is out of the running. I think that statement, that interview…”
FALSE! Gavin Newsom is highly intelligent. https://t.co/00RqsQ2G2n pic.twitter.com/99rN9H0llK
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) March 26, 2026
Gavin Newsom, being Gavin Newsom, was quick to respond to Donald Trump’s words. In a response on X (formerly Twitter), Newsom wrote, “FALSE! Gavin Newsom is highly intelligent.”
The California governor gave himself a “Cognitive Test Report Card,” noting that “Unlike some people… he didn’t need to study five words. He gave his student name of Gavin Newsom, the exam, Basic Cognitive Function Test, and the evaluator notes, “Completed without bragging, repeating, or turning it into a personality trait.”
In mockery of Trump’s alleged “person, woman, man, camera, tv” cognitive test, Newsom placed images across the page for a person, a woman, a man, a camera and a TV, which each item ticked off as correct.
On the test, Newsom gave himself a final grade of A+ (no press conference required), and as a teacher’s remark, he wrote, “Shows strong agnitive [sic] ability. Not brain dead like the President.”
With reference to the President’s remarks, neurodivergent advocates and critics slammed Trump’s comments as offensive and inaccurate, noting that dyslexia is a brain processing difference that does not indicate a lack of intelligence.
According to the International Dyslexia Association, “Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia refers to a cluster of symptoms, which result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading. Students with dyslexia usually experience difficulties with other language skills such as spelling, writing, and pronouncing words.”
“Dyslexia affects individuals throughout their lives; however, its impact can change at different stages in a person’s life.”
The association gives no reference to a dyslexic person not becoming the President of the United States, giving the California governor a fair chance.
