Newsom tells Georgia crowd, 'I am like you ... I'm a 960 SAT guy'

California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed he's a "960 SAT guy" who "cannot read a speech" due to dyslexia in a candid Atlanta book tour moment. Gavin Newsom Newsom tells Georgia crowd, 'I am like you. I'm a 960 SAT guy' Potential 2028 Democrat presidential candidate attempts to relate to an audience on a book tour stop By Eric Mack Fox News Published February 23, 2026 12:31pm EST Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Gavin Newsom tells Georgia crowd 'I'm like you ... I'm a 960 SAT guy' California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at an appearance in Atlanta as a stop on his book tour for his new memoir, "Young Man in a Hurry," but in an attempt to relate to his audience, he might have offended it. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom attempted to relate to an audience at an Atlanta book tour stop by pointing to his own unimpressive standardized test scores and claiming that he "cannot read a speech." "I'm not trying to impress you," Newsom told Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens at the event on Sunday. "I'm just trying to impress upon you: I'm like you. I'm no better than you. You know, I'm a 960 SAT guy.""And, I'm not trying to offend anyone, trying to act all there if you got 940," he added. Data posted by the National Center for Education Statistics shows that in the 1980s, when Newsom would have taken the test, the average score was around 900. Modern tests, that utilize a recentered scale, have an average score of 1010, according to research by The College Board. "Literally a 960 guy, I can't – you've never seen me read a speech, because I cannot read a speech: maybe the wrong business to be in," he continued. NICKI MINAJ APPEARS TO CONDEMN NEWSOM FOR TRANS AGENDA, DECLARES ‘END OF THE ROAD’ FOR HIS CAREER Atlanta Democrat Mayor Andre Dickens participated in a Sunday book tour event with California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday in Atlanta. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images) Newsom then went into his personal background living with dyslexia, a learning disability that impacts how an individual processes written words when trying to read."My dyslexia, I haven't overcome dyslexia, I'm living with it," Newsom said. "I was a guy in the back of the classroom, my head down, just praying the teacher didn't call on me." STEPHEN A SMITH CALLS ON GAVIN NEWSOM TO ‘ANSWER’ FOR CALIFORNIA’S HOMELESSNESS, CRIME California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom attended a Sunday book tour event in Atlanta, but his words made headlines that some say might damage his presidential candidacy instead of enhancing it. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Newsom talked further about "reports from the doctors," detailing his challenges. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP "I never realized – I was going after school three days a week – I didn't know what for," he said, noting his "mom was furious" as she learned he "has quote, unquote dyslexia.""Because she didn't want that to limit me. She didn't want that to be an excuse." Eric Mack is a writer for Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Related Topics Gavin NewsomDyslexia More from Politics 32 mins ago Top AI firm alleges Chinese labs used 24K fake accounts to siphon US tech