Incident with Governor Newsom’s Spokesperson

A reporter recently shared that a spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom reacted quite harshly after she inquired about his reported dyslexia diagnosis. Susan Crabtree, a journalist for Real Clear Politics, reached out to spokesperson Izzy Gurdon via email, as seen in a screenshot shared online. During an Atlanta event promoting his book “Youth in a Hurry,” Newsom mentioned his struggles with dyslexia.

Crabtree posed a question to Gurdon regarding the availability of documentation that could confirm Newsom’s dyslexia diagnosis. Specifically, she asked if there was any recent evidence if earlier documentation wasn’t available. Gurdon’s reply, captured in the screenshot, was blunt, telling Crabtree to “fuck off.”

Crabtree later commented on her experience, expressing, perhaps sarcastically, that she had aimed for a strong reaction from her government-funded public relations team. Meanwhile, Newsom faced criticism for remarks he made about his SAT scores while speaking with Andre Dickens, the Democratic mayor of Atlanta. He remarked, “I’m not trying to impress you… I’m just a guy with a 960 on the SAT,” adding that he struggles with reading speeches.

This drew reactions on social media, particularly from Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, who took issue with Newsom’s comments, saying that Newsom’s claim of similarity to Black Americans was questionable. Newsom responded, challenging the narrative around his remarks. He pointed out possible hypocrisy in people’s reactions to his statements compared to other controversial actions taken by political figures.

In his message, Newsom questioned why discussing his lifelong dyslexia struggle could lead to accusations of racism while other, more serious remarks from politicians didn’t elicit the same backlash. He seemed frustrated with what he saw as misguided outrage over his personal experiences.