Everybody is well aware of Elon Musk’s majorly Republican leanings, even though he formally identifies himself as an independent. Donald Trump’s presidential campaign had his backing, and his vehement disagreements with the Democrats over LGBTQ+ rights and immigration are well-documented. Therefore, X is his favorite playground for calling out what he feels is wrong with the Democrats.
But a recent incident involving Gavin Newsom at an event in Atlanta, Georgia, drew widespread criticism—and even his party members may have a hard time defending him.
The comments seemed to reinforce negative racial stereotypes, and coming from a representative of a party that promotes liberal cultural values, they created poor optics for Newsom and the Democratic Party in general. So let’s explore what Newsom said during the event that triggered such massive backlash.
California governor’s attempt to connect with Black voters backfires; Elon Musk capitalizes
At a promotional event for his memoir Young Man in a Hurry, Newsom tried to relate to the audience by talking about his own academic struggles, but ended up, as critics described it, stereotyping the experience of the Black community. His comments played into familiar tropes surrounding education and standardized testing.
“I’m not trying to impress you, I’m just trying to impress upon you, ‘I’m like you. I’m not better than you,” he said.
“And I’m not trying to offend anyone, trying to act all there if you got 940. Literally a 960 SAT guy — you’ve never seen me read a speech, because I cannot read a speech,” he added.
His remarks stunned the audience and even the host, who appeared visibly perplexed. The video clip of his statement quickly went viral and is now circulating widely on X.
As usual, capitalizing on Democratic missteps, Musk reacted to the clip with a deadpan emoji, suggesting he was equally stunned by Newsom’s statement.
Conservative commentators and social-media critics had a field day, condemning the remark as condescending. Republican Senator Tim Scott called Newsom’s comments patronizing, terming them “bigotry of low expectations.”
Meanwhile, American singer and rapper Nicki Minaj tore into Newsom for what she described as racist stereotyping, stating that he was “TELLING them that they’re all probably stupid & probably can’t read.”
“That means he REALLY BELIEVES they’re slow. He’s not just saying it—he didn’t misspeak!!!! He BELIEVES it!!!!” she added.
Several Republican commentators have long accused Democratic Party leaders of delivering moral platitudes about inclusion and the Black community while masking subtle racism, and Newsom’s recent comments didn’t help their case.
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So far, prominent Democratic Party representatives have not issued any public condemnation of Newsom over the controversy. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether his remarks will cost him further political ambitions within the party.
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