Trump Says Newsom ‘Not Qualified’ To Be President Over Claimed Disability
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A fresh war of words has erupted between the White House and Sacramento, as President Donald Trump used an Oval Office press appearance on Tuesday to question the mental qualifications of Governor Gavin Newsom. The remarks, centered on Newsom’s lifelong struggle with dyslexia, have reignited a national debate over disability and leadership in the lead-up to the 2026 midterms.
The "Learning Disability" Clash
Speaking to reporters, President Trump referenced Newsom’s own admissions regarding his learning disorder, suggesting it should be a disqualifying factor for any potential presidential run.
“Gavin ‘Newscum’ has admitted that he has learning disabilities,” Trump said. “Honestly, I’m all for people with learning disabilities, but not for my president... Everything about him is dumb.”
Newsom quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to defend his record and encourage others with similar challenges. “Dyslexia isn’t a weakness. It’s your strength,” the Governor wrote, accusing the President of "bullying" children with learning disorders.
The "960 SAT" Controversy
The exchange follows a separate controversy involving Newsom’s attempt to connect with minority voters. During a recent book tour, Newsom told a Black audience, “I’m a 960 SAT guy,” and claimed he “couldn’t read,” adding, “I’m just like you.”
The remarks were met with swift backlash from both sides of the aisle. Critics accused the Governor of using offensive racial stereotypes—insinuating that Black Americans share his low test scores or literacy struggles—in a patronizing attempt to garner political support.
The "Representation Project" Financial Scrutiny
While the Governor fends off personal attacks, his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is facing "red flags" regarding her nonprofit, The Representation Project. IRS filings reviewed by the Daily Mail reveal that Siebel Newsom and her private company, Girls Club LLC, have collected more than $3.7 million from the charity over the past decade.
The Revenue Split: In some years, payments to the "First Partner" and her LLC amounted to nearly one-third of the charity’s total annual income.
Current Filings: For the year ending March 2024, Siebel Newsom received a $150,000 salary, with an additional $150,000 paid to Girls Club LLC for "writer/director/producer fees."
The 5% Threshold: Out of 23,000 nonprofits with similar revenues ($1M–$2M), fewer than 5% pay their executives as much as The Representation Project does when Siebel Newsom’s combined compensation is factored in.
Charity watchdogs and transparency groups, including Americans for Public Trust, have slammed the compensation levels as unusually high. “The fact that he and his wife put one-third of their ‘charity’ revenues into their own pockets will undoubtedly raise red flags in the eyes of middle-class Americans,” said Executive Director Caitlin Sutherland.
The filings also note that Girls Club LLC owns the copyright to Siebel Newsom’s documentary, Miss Representation, and has licensed it back to the nonprofit for at least seven years—a move that further consolidates the charity’s funds within the Newsoms' private holdings.
As Gavin Newsom continues his national "rebrand" tour, these financial revelations and the ongoing spat with the President are likely to remain central themes in the 2026 political cycle.
Nearly 150,000 California Mail Ballots Rejected In Primary
California election officials are examining why nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the state’s June primary, with late-arriving ballots accounting for most of the increase.
The higher rejection rate comes despite years of election law changes designed to make voting more accessible and ensure more ballots are ultimately counted.
According to data compiled by the California Secretary of State’s office, 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected during the June primary, representing 1.73% of all mail ballots returned.
That marks an increase from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 ballots were rejected, or 1.56% of all mail ballots cast.
The largest reason for rejection was ballots arriving too late to qualify under California law.
State data shows that 93,479 ballots were rejected because they failed to meet the state’s deadline requirements.
California allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
Voting experts believe many of the rejected ballots received postmarks dated after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted even if they arrived within the seven-day grace period.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the timing of postal processing appears to be a significant concern.
“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander said.
Election experts have questioned whether recent operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service may be contributing to delayed postmarks.
Earlier this year, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators wrote to the Postal Service expressing concern that mail-processing changes could affect ballot handling during federal elections.
Updated Postal Service procedures mean postmarks may reflect when mail is processed at regional facilities rather than when it first enters the mail system.
Because processing centers have been consolidated in some areas, election officials have warned that postmark timing could be affected.
Before the June primary, California election officials encouraged voters to mail ballots as early as possible because of potential postal delays.
The June election also featured a highly competitive race for governor, which some experts believe encouraged many voters to wait until the final days before casting ballots.
In addition to late-arriving ballots, approximately 44,000 ballots were rejected because election officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file.
Another 8,300 ballots were rejected because the return envelope did not contain a signature.
State records also show that 743 ballots were rejected because those voters had already cast another ballot.
Other rejected ballots involved missing ballots inside return envelopes or multiple ballots submitted in a single envelope.
The highest rejection rate in the state occurred in Tulare County, where 3.52% of returned mail ballots were rejected.
Alpine County and Merced County followed closely, each recording rejection rates of 3.36%.
California has frequently faced criticism for taking weeks to complete vote counting after major elections, largely because state law permits ballots meeting certain requirements to continue arriving after Election Day.
Following the June primary, President Donald Trump again criticized California’s election system, while the Department of Justice opened an investigation into election administration in Los Angeles County.
Election experts emphasize that the increase in rejected ballots should not be interpreted as evidence of widespread voter fraud.
A 2025 report by the Brookings Institution found documented cases of mail ballot fraud remained extremely rare, estimating roughly four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast, The Associated Press reported.
State officials have not identified evidence of widespread fraud connected to the June primary, but the increase in rejected ballots is expected to receive additional scrutiny as election administrators evaluate whether changes in postal operations, voter behavior or election procedures contributed to the higher rejection rate.
