Newsom to Atlanta Mayor: 'I'm Like You,' Citing 960 SAT Score

California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing a wave of criticism after telling Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, "I'm like you," and then mentioning his SAT score of 960 during a memoir promotion event on Sunday evening.

At the launch of his book, "Young Man in a Hurry," Newsom stated, "I'm not trying to be impressive. I just want to say, I'm like you. I'm no better than you. I'm a 960 SAT guy." He continued, "I don't mean to offend anybody… You've never seen me read a speech because I can't read a speech."

According to 2024 data from the College Board, the average SAT score for Black or African American test-takers is 907/1600, while white test-takers average 1083.

Path to College Through Baseball and Recommendation Letters

Newsom graduated from Santa Clara University in 1989. He once received a letter of recommendation from former California Governor Jerry Brown — who had previously appointed Newsom's father as a state appeals court judge. Newsom wrote in his book that he got into Santa Clara on a partial baseball scholarship. Responding to the New York Times earlier this month, he stated that the recommendation letter was irrelevant, saying, "the ticket to Santa Clara came from baseball."

Wave of Criticism from Multiple Sides

Newsom's remarks drew criticism from several figures. Representative Randy Fine (R-Florida) wrote on X: Newsom said he was like Black people because he had a low SAT score and couldn't read a speech; he called on his Democratic colleagues to demand Newsom's resignation.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) accused Newsom of exhibiting "soft bigotry of low expectations" and retweeted a post by scholar Carol M. Swain with the comment: "Liberal discrimination is showing."

Singer Nicki Minaj also criticized, suggesting that Newsom's way of "connecting" with Black people was to say he was inferior and couldn't read. Conservative commentator Stephen L. Miller posted an image of Navin Johnson from the film "The Jerk" (1979) with the caption: "Gavin Newsom walks into 2028."

Newsom Responds, Citing Dyslexia

The governor's office has not responded to requests for comment. On X, Newsom responded to Fox News host Sean Hannity, questioning why he didn't condemn previous statements by the U.S. President but called him racist for speaking about his lifelong dyslexia.

The controversy erupts as Newsom is considered a potential candidate for the 2028 presidential race.