Newsom fires back at Trump over post calling dyslexia ‘mental disorder’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Wednesday went after President Trump over a post calling dyslexia a “mental disorder.”

In a post on his Truth Social platform Wednesday evening, Trump said that Newsom “said, in a speech, he was dumb, had low Boards, can’t read, has dyslexia, and has a mental disorder — A Cognitive Mess!”

Newsom fired back at Trump on the social platform X, saying, “I spoke about my dyslexia.”

“I know that’s hard for a brain-dead moron who bombs children and protects pedophiles to understand,” he added.

Last month, in a conversation with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens promoting his memoir, Newsom said he was “not trying to impress you. I’m just trying to impress upon you, I am like you.”

“I am no better than you,” he continued. “I am a 960 SAT guy. And I’m not trying to offend anyone, [or] act all there if you got 940. But literally a 960 SAT guy. You have never seen me read a speech, because I cannot read a speech.”

Trump’s Wednesday comments were in response to Newsom’s book tour comments.

According to the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia “is a language-based learning disability.” The association states on its website that the learning disability features multiple symptoms that cause trouble with language skills, “particularly reading.”

Newsom and Trump have gone after each other throughout Trump’s second term, with the California governor’s press office recently adopting the president’s social media style that features all caps and brash words to mock Trump.

The California governor is also often floated as a possible 2028 presidential contender, alongside other notable Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.