Nicki Minaj called out California Governor Gavin Newsom for his condescending behavior toward Black voters while attending a book signing in Atlanta.
The rapper took to the
Newsom appeared in a conversation with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to discuss his struggles with dyslexia and academic challenges. The governor told the audience that he scored a 960 on the SAT and highlighted his dyslexia to connect with attendees.
“I’m the same as you. I’m no better than you,” Newsom said at the event. “I’m a guy who got a 960 on the SAT. I’m not trying to offend anyone. If you got a 940 on the SAT, I don’t want to sound like you’re useless.”
Nicki Minaj has given a scathing response to the video that went viral on social media platforms.
“The way he connects with black people is by telling them how stupid he is and that he can’t read,” she wrote on “X.” The rapper accused Newsom of deliberately slowing down his speech during his speech.
“He didn’t just tell them that they were probably all stupid and probably couldn’t read, he actually slowed down the speech so they could understand the words coming out of his mouth!!!!!! Like they were kids!!!” Mina continued in her role.
His way of connecting with black people is by telling them how stupid he is and that he can’t read.
Which means my first impression of him was correct. He was given so much and placed in a lofty position that he never earned or deserved.
Do you want to know the craziest part of this video… https://t.co/llo1k7F7wB
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) February 23, 2026
The controversy stemmed from social media posts that falsely described Atlanta viewers as exclusively black.
Images and videos from the event show a racially diverse crowd attending Newsom’s book promotion.
Newsom’s comments were in response to questions about his dyslexia and personal experiences that he wanted readers to understand. “You’ve never seen me read a speech because I can’t read a speech,” he explained to the audience. “Maybe I did something wrong.”
In recent months, Minaj has become increasingly aligned with conservative politics and Donald Trump’s administration. She has previously criticized Newsom’s stance on transgender issues and other California policies.
While she was busy attacking Governor Newsom, her X.com account was attacked by a network of bots amplifying her right-wing leaning rhetoric. She has yet to respond to the accusations.
Governor Newsom’s book tour continues with upcoming stops in California and New York, where he will promote the book ahead of its February 24 release.
