California Gov. Gavin Newsom got off on the wrong foot with Black Atlantans during a visit to Georgia over the weekend. Newsom was in Georgia to campaign for former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms who is running for Governor in 2026.
Newsom participated in a conversation with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens at the Rialto Theater on Sunday night.
The Democratic governor compared himself to Black people, saying he scored 960 on the SAT test and he can’t read either.
“I’m not trying to impress you – I’m just trying to impress upon you [that] I’m like you. I’m no better than you. You know? I’m a 960 SAT guy,” he said.
Dickens nodded and laughed as Newsom said, “I’m not trying to offend anyone, you know, trying to act all there if you got 940. But literally [I’m] a 960 SAT guy. I cannot [read]. You’ve never seen me read a speech because I cannot read a speech.”
Mayor Dixon and the crowd fell silent as Newsom continued to joke that politics is the wrong business for him to be in.
The crowd began to buzz and soon a video surfaced on X/Twitter Sunday night. Many wondered why a governor assumes all Black people can’t read. Or why a potential presidential candidate told his voter base that he can’t read.
Gavin Newsom says he relates to black people because he got a 960 on his SAT and “can’t read”.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 23, 2026
Newsom’s conversation with Mayor Dickens at the Rialto was hosted by A Cappella Books in honor of the launch of Newsom’s new book, “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery.”
Newsom’s words angered people on social media who couldn’t believe he compared himself to Black people by saying he can’t read.
