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Newsom Faces Criticism Over SAT Remarks

Did Newsom's Atlanta remarks reveal racist assumptions or did conservatives manufacture outrage through selective editing?

Published 5 hours ago

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Above: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Feb. 23. Image credit: Peter Zay/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Spin

Republican narrative

Newsom's Atlanta remarks exposed blatant racism, assuming a predominantly Black audience relates to low test scores and illiteracy. His condescending tone and slowed speech pattern revealed genuine belief. The desperate deflection to Trump proves he knows exactly how offensive his comments were. This will seriously damage Newsome's prospects for 2028.

Megyn Kelly on Youtube

Sean Hannity on X

Donald Trump on Truthsocial

Democratic narrative

Conservative outrage over Newsom's SAT comments deliberately strips context from his longstanding discussion of dyslexia across diverse audiences. The Atlanta crowd was racially mixed, Mayor Dickens defended the remarks, and actual Black attendees weren't offended. MAGA manufactured this controversy through selective editing while ignoring Trump's actual racist behavior.

Insidehighered The Desert Sun

Gavin Newsom on X

Establishment-critical narrative

Newsom's "960 SAT guy" line isn’t racist — it’s worse, a cheap anti-meritocratic pose. Leaders shouldn't cosplay mediocrity to seem relatable while running a state that demands elite competence. Democrats can expand opportunity without sneering at excellence. Normalizing low standards undercuts the very striving and struggling communities need.

Unherd