Gavin Newsom Claps Back At Nicki Minaj, Fox News Says Outrage Is Fake

Gavin Newsom fired back at conservative critics after his Atlanta book tour comments about dyslexia and low SAT scores triggered accusations of racism.

The California governor told a mixed audience Sunday that he scored 960 on the SAT and struggles with reading due to his learning disability during a conversation with Mayor Andre Dickens.

Conservative commentators, including Megyn Kelly and Rick Scott, immediately pounced on the remarks, claiming Newsom was being racist toward Black Americans.

Nicki Minaj led the Hip-Hop criticism with a series of posts targeting the Democratic governor’s communication style and intentions.

The rapper wrote on X that Newsom’s “way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is and that he can’t read.”

His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read.

This means my first read on him was correct. He’s been handed so many things & put in high positions he never earned or deserved.

Do you wanna know the craziest part of this footage that… https://t.co/llo1k7F7wB

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) February 23, 2026

Nicki Minaj accused the governor of “slowing his speech down” to “make them understand the words that are coming out of his mouth” as if “they’re children.”

Nicki Minaj continued her criticism by claiming Newsom “REALLY BELIEVES they’re slow” and that “he didn’t misspeak” but genuinely holds these views about Black Americans.

The Hip-Hop superstar argued that his approach revealed someone who has been “handed so many things and put in high positions he never earned or deserved.”

The Young Man in a Hurry author defended himself by calling out what he termed “fake f###### outrage” from Sean Hannity and other Fox News personalities.

Gavin Newsom pointed out that these same critics remained silent when Donald Trump posted racist content about Barack Obama or called African nations “shitholes,” according to HuffPost.

The governor explained that his comments were about vulnerability and authenticity, not about making assumptions about his audience’s intelligence.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens defended Newsom on Instagram, providing context for the full conversation and sharing photos of the diverse audience.

Dickens wrote that “context matters more than a headline” and emphasized that Atlanta residents “don’t need anyone to tell us when to be offended” and encouraged people to watch the complete video.

Newsom’s book tour continues with scheduled stops in several major cities through March 2026.

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