California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing sharp backlash after linking his below-average SAT score to an attempt to show he is like his audience during a recent appearance in Atlanta.
According to Sean Hannity, the controversy erupted after Newsom, speaking alongside Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to promote his forthcoming memoir, Young Man in a Hurry, invoked his SAT score while describing his personal background. The remarks, framed as an appeal to relatability, instead ignited accusations that the governor trafficked in condescending stereotypes about Black Americans.
Former presidential candidate and Harvard professor Cornel West, in a podcast clip posted to his X account, argued that Newsoms comments revealed a deeper prejudice. When he thinks of Black people, he thinks of lower SATs, West said. That mindset sits at the core of white supremacy the belief that Black people are less beautiful, less moral, less intelligent! Dont play with us like that @CAgovernor.
During the event, Newsom attempted to cast himself as an everyman, downplaying his academic credentials in a way critics say exposed the lefts soft bigotry of low expectations. Im not trying to impress you, Im just trying to impress upon you, Im like you. Im not better than you. Im a 960 SAT guy, Newsom said.
He went on to reference his struggle with dyslexia and other challenges described in his memoir, insisting he meant no slight to anyone with even lower scores. And Im not trying to offend anyone, the governor continued. Im not trying to act all there if you got 940 Youve never seen me read a speech because I cannot read a speech.
The remarks drew swift criticism online, including from Fox News host Sean Hannity, who wrote on X: @GavinNewsom thinks a 960 SAT Makes Him Like Black Americans. Let That Sink In. For many conservatives, the episode underscores a familiar pattern on the left: politicians who preach equity while casually embracing the very stereotypes they claim to oppose.
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