Greg Gutfeld slammed California Governor Gavin Newsom after a Georgia appearance in which Newsom tried to craft a relatable backstory, arguing the governor’s stunt was hollow and insulted voters.
Greg Gutfeld did not hold back when he reacted to Governor Gavin Newsom’s attempt to connect with Black voters in Georgia by saying he scored a 960 on his SAT and had trouble with reading. Gutfeld framed the moment as manufactured relatability, a staged move meant to soften an image built on privilege. He said Newsom’s upbringing and the safety net of wealth made the gesture ring insincere rather than honest.
On air Gutfeld accused Newsom of implicitly bragging that mistakes never really mattered because his family could smooth things over. The host described that pattern as proof of a silver-spooned elitism, where missteps are shrugged off thanks to parental intervention and social position. That critique aimed straight at the idea that a politician can humblebrag about struggle while living with elite protections.
“We’ve had so many identity groups that were running out of them. And I think, you know, whether it’s gays, trans, blacks, Latin X, Asian Pacific Islanders, it was time for the POLIs: people of limited intelligence,” Gutfeld quipped. “And I think that’s what he decided. The polis are rising up. They’re rising up. They’re tired of all the smart people. And his strategy is, I’m just like you, I’m stupid. And this is the way, this is his way of subverting his reputation as a silver-spooned elitist.”
But it says something that’s worse. I think it says, I got this far despite my bad grades, despite my laziness, despite my womanizing, I am a true elitist because whenever this rich kid partied too much got kicked out of wherever, mommy and daddy pulled strings, I’m the rich white guy that didn’t have to work that hard. Look, I buy SATs or read the numbers rarely more than me just signing my name. I think you get what, 600 for that. I don’t know.
Gutfeld pushed back against the idea that lowering oneself to appear ordinary is a respectable political tactic. From his perspective, pandering downward insults the audience by assuming they need simplified company rather than a leader who challenges them. He argued commentators and politicians should lift the conversation instead of deflating it for applause or cheap empathy.
Calling it “stupid signaling,” Gutfeld contrasted this new trend with the older idea of virtue signaling, saying the move has been dumbed down into performative stupidity. He made the point that pretending intellectual deficiency is a path to depth only undercuts public discourse and demeans listeners. That line of critique suggests a concern for standards and for expecting more from both leaders and audiences.
“It’s stupid signaling. We used to have virtue signaling. Now we have stupid signaling,” Gutfeld added. “And so the thing is that him being dim is a sign of depth, which is insulting to the audience, right? I would never do that. I compliment the audience by expecting them to keep up with me.”
The broader takeaway from Gutfeld’s remarks is a simple pushback against performative politics that relies on manufactured hardship. He sees a pattern where elites try to buy authenticity with anecdotes instead of demonstrating consistent values or policies. For viewers skeptical of that approach, the exchange reinforced a preference for real substance over staged humility.
Whether you agree or not, this episode underlines a political choice about how public figures present themselves and how they treat voters. Gutfeld warned against the cheapening of political discourse through contrived self-deprecation, urging a return to accountability and honest leadership. The critique lands as both a media takedown and a call for politicians to stop assuming lowered expectations win trust.
