Nicki Minaj, Cornel West blast Newsom for trying to relate to black people by sharing low SAT score

Rapper Nicki Minaj, who has emerged as an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump in recent months, is slamming California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for attempting to relate to black people by pointing to his low SAT score. Critics on both sides of the political aisle have panned his attempt to relate to the important political demographic ahead of the 2028 presidential election. 

Video footage of California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a 2028 presidential hopeful, speaking to black leaders in Georgia over the weekend has drawn intense backlash from conservatives, including Minaj. In his remarks, Newsom told the crowd, “I’m not trying to impress you. I’m just trying to impress upon you [that] I’m like you. I’m no better than you. I’m a 960 SAT guy.”

Newsom insisted that he was “not trying to act all there” and significantly smarter than the crowd, suggesting that many of them may have had SAT scores of 940. He also boasted that “You’ve never seen me read a speech because I cannot read a speech.” 

Minaj took issue with multiple aspects of Newsom’s comments in an X post Monday. “His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read,” she wrote. “This means my first read on him was correct. He’s been handed so many things & put in high positions he never earned or deserved.” 

“Do you wanna know the craziest part of this footage that will haunt him forever?” she asked. “He’s literally slowing down his speech & talking in a sporadic cadence.” 

Minaj added: “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!!!!”

“Do ya love it?!?!! Do ya just love it, black ppl?!????” she concluded. 

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., offered a similar analysis of Newsom’s comments in an X post Monday: “Black Americans aren’t your low bar. We’ve built empires, created movement, outworked, outhustled and outsmarted people like you. Stop using your mediocre academics as a way to patronize communities. It’s ridiculous!”

While most criticism of Newsom’s remarks came from the political Right, a prominent figure on the Left also expressed disgust about his comments.

Cornel West, who ran for president as a left-leaning independent candidate in 2024, contended in an X post Monday: "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 !! 

Newsom directly addressed one of his critics, Fox News opinion host Sean Hannity, who posted on X Monday: “@GavinNewsom Thinks a 960 SAT Makes Him ‘Like’ Black Americans. Let that sink in.”

The California governor accused Hannity of hypocrisy in a profane response: “You didn’t vie a s--- about the President of the United States of America posting an ape video of President Obama or calling African nations s-------- but you’re going to call me racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia? Spare me your fake f------ outrage, Sean.” 

Black voters are an important part of the Democratic Party’s constituency. Exit polls from the 2024 presidential election show that 86% of black voters backed Kamala Harris, who was installed as the Democratic presidential nominee after then-President Joe Biden was forced to step out of the race.

As for the 2028 presidential election, where Newsom is widely viewed as one of the top contenders, the RealClearPolitics average of polls asking Democratic primary voters which candidate they would support shows Harris leading the field with 28.3% support and Newsom in a close second at 20.7%. All other rumored 2028 contenders have less than 10% support.