Donald Trump has said he believes people with learning disabilities should not be president, as he renewed his taunts at California Governor Gavin Newsom over his dyslexia.
President Trump said Newsom, a potential Democratic White House contender, was “dumb”. He also made fun last week of the California governor’s difficulty with reading and spelling, prompting Newsom to call him “a brain-dead moron”.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities told the BBC it was “disturbed by and strongly condemns” the Republican president’s remarks.
Dyslexia, a learning condition that disrupts how the brain processes written language, affects as many as one in five Americans.
“With a low IQ person, you know, because Gavin Newscum has admitted that he is a, that he has learning disabilities,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. “Newscum” is Trump’s nickname for the governor.
“Honestly, I’m all for people with learning disabilities, but not for my president. I don’t want, I think a president should not have learning disabilities, OK? And I know it’s highly controversial to say such a horrible thing.”
He added: “The President of the United States, Gavin Newscum, admitted that he has learning disabilities, dyslexia. Everything about him is dumb.”
Newsom made fun of Trump for appearing to accidentally refer to the governor as president. “NO THANK YOU, WE BELIEVE IN FREE ELECTIONS!” he posted on X.
During an on-stage conversation last month with the mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, Newsom discussed his dyslexia.
“I’m like you,” the governor told the audience as he cited his poor exam results and difficulty reading.
“You’ve never seen me read a speech, because I cannot read a speech,” he added.
His remarks to a predominantly black audience sparked a chorus of conservative claims that he was talking down to African-American voters.
Trump also accused Newsom of racism and posted on Truth Social that he “can’t read, has dyslexia, and has a mental disorder - A Cognitive Mess!”
Newsom shot back at Trump on social media, saying: "I spoke about my dyslexia.
“I know that’s hard for a brain-dead moron who bombs children and protects pedophiles to understand.”
shads@lemy.lol 1 day ago
Presidents should not be paedophiles. Paedophiles should not be president.
Presidents shouldn’t be regularly stroking out and really shouldn’t be surrounded by people who will be relieved when they get to “Weekend at Bernie’s” him around.
When my neighbours dog started to be cognitively impaired by all his strokes they made him comfortable, gave him a couple of days to see if it would stop, then had him put to sleep. So much more humane than letting him declare illegal wars.