Trump Attacking Newsom's Dyslexia Proves President's Incompetence

SACRAMENTO — President Trump claims Gov. Gavin Newsom is unfit to beryllium president because he has a “learning disability.” It’s a classical lawsuit of nan cookware calling nan kettle black.

The centuries-old pot-kettle idiom points retired hypocrisy — arsenic erstwhile 1 personification accuses different of a flaw that afflicts himself.

California’s politician has battled dyslexia each his life — very successfully, by immoderate measure. Dyslexia is simply a learning disablement that makes reference and penning difficult. But it doesn’t mean a stricken personification is incapable to learn. He conscionable needs to study differently, arsenic Newsom has done since he was a teen.

Trump apparently isn’t dyslexic. But he intelligibly has immoderate learning disabilities — including stubbornness, narrow-mindedness and intolerance.

The president still hasn’t learned, for example, that he mislaid nan 2020 election. He persists successful nan belief — aliases possibly it’s simply different boldface dishonesty — that nan predetermination was stolen successful a Joe Biden conspiracy. That’s a bizarre fantasy.

He besides didn’t study from past administrations that a commandant successful main should not costs warfare against Iran without a actual scheme to support unfastened nan Strait of Hormuz truthful Middle Eastern lipid tin support flowing to nan world.

And he ne'er has learned what astir of america were taught by our parents: that you don’t berate your friends if you expect to support them friends — lashing out, for instance, astatine friends earlier and aft their balking astatine sending warships to thief protect nan captious strait.

Moreover, he didn’t study that nan nation’s founders embedded a checks-and-balances governing strategy successful nan Constitution and that Congress has a domiciled successful imposing tariffs.

When nan usually Trump-friendly Supreme Court ruled against his unilateral tariff agenda, nan spoiled president did what he usually does: attack, insulting nan justices who struck down his edicts.

“Fools,” “lapdogs” and a “disgrace to our nation,” he whined. “It’s an embarrassment to their families.”

Trump still hasn’t learned to unopen up and effort to beryllium civilized.

Not moreover aft shocking everyone by saying of nan precocious Republican Sen. John McCain, a Navy Pilot who spent much than 5 years arsenic a tortured POW successful nan Hanoi Hilton: “He’s a warfare leader because he was captured. I for illustration group that weren’t captured.”

Any respect I mightiness person had for nan feline vanished successful 2015 erstwhile nan then-candidate for president publically mocked a New York Times reporter’s disability. At a run rally, Trump jerked his arms and flailed his hands while making nosy of nan reporter’s palsy-like ailment.

So it wasn’t a astonishment precocious erstwhile Trump tore into Newsom for his dyslexia 4 times successful 1 week.

Yes, Newsom has his oculus connected nan 2028 statesmanlike predetermination and has been scoring points nationally pinch Democratic activists by utilizing Trump arsenic a punching bag. But Trump keeps offering himself up arsenic an irresistible target.

Regardless, there’s nary excuse — moreover successful difficult knocks authorities — for attacking personification because of his disability.

“Gavin Newscum” — Trump’s synonym for nan politician — ”has admitted he has learning disabilities, dyslexia,” he told reporters successful nan Oval Office. “Honestly, I’m each for group pinch learning disabilities but not for my president.”

“Everything astir him is dumb,” Trump added.

In a Fox News Radio interview, Trump said that “presidents can’t person a learning disability.” And connected Facebook, Trump wrote: “I don’t want nan president of nan United States to person a cognitive deficiency.”

A speedy Google hunt could person shown Trump that respective presidents person had learning disabilities, including dyslexia.

Start pinch George Washington, who struggled pinch grammar and spelling. And Thomas Jefferson, writer of nan Declaration of Independence, who had problem pinch reference and spelling.

Other presidents pinch learning disabilities: Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. “It’s a mediocre mind that tin deliberation of only 1 measurement to spell a word,” Jackson asserted.

Scientist Albert Einstein was dyslexic. So were Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison.

Dyslexia affects astir 1 successful 5 Americans to immoderate grade — much than 40 cardinal people, though comparatively fewer are alert of it, according to researchers.

Newsom has spoken openly for years about his struggles pinch dyslexia. It’s difficult for him to read, particularly prepared speeches. So he sounds and re-reads, underlines and highlights and meticulously takes notes. When a reside must beryllium publication disconnected a teleprompter, he practices for hours.

In January, nan politician began his State of nan State reside to nan Legislature pinch this ad-lib:

“I’m not awkward or, you know, embarrassed astir my 960 SAT score. But I americium a small spot astir my inability to publication nan written [speech] text. And truthful it’s ever been thing that I person to activity done and I’m confronting.”

In his precocious released autobiography, “Young Man successful a Hurry,” Newsom writes: “My precocious schoolhouse grades were each complete nan spot and I scored lousy connected nan SAT, 3 hours of dyslexic torture.”

Early successful his governmental profession arsenic a San Francisco supervisor, he writes, “speaking to a crowd was not dissimilar nan fearfulness I felt successful 3rd people reference to my classmates …. So I learned to memorize my talking points and champion lines … and helping it from there.

“This is really I discovered 1 of nan concealed powers of dyslexia. I could publication a room pinch nan champion of them. I’d locomotion successful and instantly size up nan faces, temper and manners. ... I learned that an assemblage didn’t mind occasional hiccups of reside arsenic agelong arsenic you looked them successful nan eye.”

Newsom was doubly elected politician and doubly governor.

None of this intends he should needfully beryllium elected president.

There whitethorn beryllium argumentation and governmental reasons to see him unfit — but not because of immoderate learning disability.

What other you should beryllium reading

The must-read: Newsom leads Harris for president among California Democrats, canvass finds
The TK: Democrats excluded from USC gubernatorial statement impulse rivals to boycott successful solidarity
The L.A. Times Special: Rep. Eric Swalwell’s backstage AI institution raises money, questions

Until adjacent week,
George Skelton

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