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Cornel West rips Newsom’s ‘white supremacy mindset’

February 25, 2026 | | Print Article

Former Harvard University professor and independent presidential candidate Cornel West slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom over his controversial remarks about black people, whom he suggested were illiterate and dumb, accusing him of having a “white supremacy mindset.”

The 2028 Democrat frontrunner was hustling his new book, “Young Man in a Hurry,” during the event hosted by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens when he tried to appeal to the largely black audience with an awkward bit of pandering that not only failed to connect, but may have instead alienated many in the critical demographic that his party has long been dependent on.

“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.’ I’m a 960 SAT guy,” Newsom said.

“And I’m not trying to offend anyone,” the governor continued. “I’m not trying to act all there if you got 940 … You’ve never seen me read a speech because I cannot read a speech.”

“When he thinks of black people, he thinks of lower SATs,” the prominent black intellectual said of the California Democrat, posting a clip from a podcast with Tavis Smiley to X and unloading on Newsom with both barrels.

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“Brother Newsom could’ve taken a humanistic approach! He could’ve said, “I’m just like you. I was born of a woman. I’ll face loss, pain, and death just like anyone else.” But instead, when he thinks of Black people, he brings up low SAT scores. That mindset sits at the core of white supremacy—the belief that Black people are less beautiful, less moral, less intelligent! Don’t play with us like that @CAgovernor!!” West wrote.

An unrepentant race-baiter who coined the phrase the “n*ggerization of America” to describe the concept that white people are also now being made victims of the oppressive system, West is one of those whom Newsom is going to have to curry favor with if he expects to be the Democratic Party nominee. A job that just became a bit tougher after his disastrous attempt at pandering in Atlanta.

Lashing out at critics, a defensive Newsom flung an expletive-laden tirade at Fox News host Sean Hannity.

“You didn’t give a sh*t about the President of the United States of America posting an ape video of President Obama or calling African nations sh*tholes — but you’re going to call me racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia?” Newsom wrote in a post to X.

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“Spare me your fake f**king outrage, Sean,” the governor added, invoking one of the f-bombs that now passes for discourse with the Democrats.

“First MAGA mocked his dyslexia, and now they’re calling him racist for talking about his low SAT scores,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gordon said. “The governor has said this publicly for years — including with [the late conservative commentator] Charlie Kirk and dozens of other audiences.”

“His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read,” Trump-supporting rapper Nicki Minaj said of Newsom in a scathing post to X.

“He’s not just TELLING them that they’re all probably stupid & probably can’t read, he’s LITERALLY SLOW-ING-DOWN-HIS-SPEECH to make them understand the words that are coming out of his mouth!!!! As if they’re children!!!! That means he REALLY BELIEVES they’re slow. He’s not just saying it—he didn’t misspeak!!!! He BELIEVES it!!!!” Minaj added.

Chris Donaldson
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