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(New York) Gavin Newsom, governor of California and potential presidential candidate in 2028, seems to have it all. Looks, intelligence and relationships, just to mention these assets. Sometimes it even gives the impression of being a little too perfect, a little too smooth.
In memoirs published at the end of February, the 58-year-old Democrat attempts to dispel this impression. He notably addresses the issue of his dyslexia. This reading and writing disorder caused him problems in class, of course, but also in the playground. He remembers being nicknamed “Newscum” by a bully who had chosen him as a victim. Many years later, Donald Trump would use the same derogatory nickname to denigrate him (in French, the word “scum” can be translated as trash, scum or filth).
Titled Young Man in a HurryGavin Newsom’s book also strives to put into perspective the role that rich and influential people played in his successes in business or politics.
True that his father, Judge William Newson, was a good friend of oil tycoon Gordon Getty. It is true that the latter helped him launch a business which, from a small neighborhood wine shop, grew to become a collection of wineries, restaurants and bars.
It is also true that his family’s links with the political elite of San Francisco, including Nancy Pelosi, opened several doors for the man who would be elected mayor of this city at 36 years old. But Gavin Newsom multiplies the anecdotes intended to demonstrate that his successes are based first and foremost on a work ethic which allowed him to overcome several personal challenges, including his dyslexia.
A “superpower”
Unfortunately for him, it turns out that this learning disability should exclude him from the presidency. Who says it? Donald Trump!
Over the past week, the president has four times mentioned the dyslexia of Gavin Newsom, a politician with whom he has a history of feuding.
“He can’t read a speech, he can’t read, let alone all the other things he said. He claimed to suffer from numerous mental problems,” Donald Trump said during a rally in Kentucky on March 12. “There’s nothing wrong with that, but I don’t want the president of the United States to be cognitively impaired. »
Let’s get the facts straight: in his book and in an interview, Gavin Newsom explained that he has trouble reading a speech on a teleprompter, which pushes him to do without it and work twice as hard to master his material before opening his mouth. Ultimately, he believes that his dyslexia has made him stronger and is in fact a “superpower”.
“Looking back, it was the best thing that could have happened to me,” he told CNN last month. “I have the freedom not to be a prisoner of the written text, and the freedom to have to work harder – to increase the number of rehearsals behind the scenes. This has proven to be a huge blessing in politics. »
But Donald Trump is not giving up.
“We’re dealing with a low IQ person, you know, because Gavin Newsom admitted he had a learning disability. Honestly, I have nothing against people with learning disabilities, but not for my president,” he told reporters gathered in the Oval Office on Monday.
The case of Woodrow Wilson
On We wish him well – It’s never too late to seek help for your mental health. »
The governor was more biting on the same platform: “I spoke about my dyslexia. I know it’s hard to understand for a brainless moron who bombs children and protects pedophiles. »
To some extent, Donald Trump did Gavin Newsom a favor. After all, he helped amplify part of the message that the California governor wants to convey to the public through his book.
But the National Center for Learning Disabilities said it was “deeply troubled by these negative and stigmatizing comments”, which are “factually and morally incorrect”.
In a video posted Tuesday on social media, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife and mother of his four children, made similar comments, adding that “learning differences don’t make you less intelligent.”
Historians have pointed out that the United States had probably already had at least one dyslexic president. Although no official diagnosis has been made in his case, Woodrow Wilson likely suffered from this learning disability. As a child, he experienced great difficulty reading and did not learn to read fluently until around the age of 10.
Which did not prevent him from being professor and president of Princeton University before becoming governor of New Jersey and 28e president of the United States.
Enough to inspire Gavin Newsom, if not to enlighten Donald Trump.
