Gavin Newsom keeps insisting he can’t read or write while repeatedly being caught contradicting himself, using dyslexia as a shield, and doubling down on excuses that don’t hold up under scrutiny.

Gavin Newsom frequently leans on his dyslexia to explain away embarrassing moments, and he’s used that defense every time he’s called out. When critics labeled him “historically illiterate,” he turned the phrase into an ableist accusation rather than answer the substance. That pattern—duck, deflect, and accuse—has become his go-to move.

This isn’t just political theater; it’s a repeated habit. He claimed ignorance about basic facts of his life, like not knowing his $7.5 million mansion had an expansive wine cellar. Detail after detail gets shrugged off as misunderstanding or oversight, while the public watches the narrative wobble under the weight of evidence.

More recently, Newsom doubled down on a claim that grabbed attention: he said we never see him reading speeches because he simply cannot read them. The absurdity of that statement was immediate, and critics jumped in to point out clips and records that tell a different story.

“I’ve never read a speech,” Newsom claimed. “I can’t read. I can’t write.” Those are his words, plain and unvarnished, offered as an explanation and apparently meant to inoculate him from scrutiny. Saying you cannot perform basic tasks expected of national leaders is more than a gaffe; it raises real questions about readiness and credibility.

https://x.com/mazemoore/status/2094912726191509518

If a presidential hopeful honestly could not read or write, they would be unqualified for the job—no debate, no spin. Reading and writing are core functions for any chief executive, from policy briefs to public addresses, and the public deserves clarity, not theatrical excuses. The line between accommodation and evasion matters when a campaign is at stake.

The video that circulated didn’t stop at the initial claim; it cuts to a clip where Newsom lands a curious insult and repeats the story about not reading aloud. “I’m no better than you,” he said. “You know, I’m a 960 SAT guy. I cannot … you’ve never seen me read a speech because I cannot read a speech.” Then the footage turns the claim inside out by showing him doing exactly what he said he can’t do.

For the coup de grâce, the video jumps to Newsom reading a speech. “Representing every possible color and creed and community. And that diversity, in the words of the late Kevin Starr, is the persistent DNA code of California,” he said, and continued reading for well over a minute. The clip strips away the performance and leaves only the contradiction.

Well, he thinks he can throw journalists in prison if they expose welfare fraud in California, so he probably thinks he can jail them for reporting on his lies, too. That sort of authoritarian toaster-oven bravado—threaten the messenger when the facts are inconvenient—doesn’t sit well with voters who value free press and accountability.

It’s hard to argue with this. Of course Newsom can read and write; the evidence is in plain sight. The real issue is the tolerance for repeated falsehoods and evasions from someone angling for higher office, and whether that pattern should disqualify a candidate in a serious national contest.