Donald Trump has said he believes people with learning disabilities should not be president, as he renewed his taunts at California Governor Gavin Newsom over his dyslexia.
President Trump said Newsom, a potential Democratic White House contender, was dumb. He also made fun last week of the California governor's difficulty with reading and spelling, prompting Newsom to call him a brain-dead moron.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities told the BBC it was disturbed by and strongly condemns the Republican president's remarks.
Dyslexia, a learning condition that disrupts how the brain processes written language, affects as many as one in five Americans.
With a low IQ person, you know, because Gavin Newscum has admitted that he is a, that he has learning disabilities, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. Newscum is Trump's nickname for the governor.
Honestly, I'm all for people with learning disabilities, but not for my president. I don't want, I think a president should not have learning disabilities, OK? And I know it's highly controversial to say such a horrible thing, he added.
Newsom made fun of Trump for appearing to accidentally refer to the governor as president. NO THANK YOU, WE BELIEVE IN FREE ELECTIONS! he posted on X.
During an on-stage conversation last month with the mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, Newsom discussed his dyslexia, sharing personal struggles with reading and examining his own learning challenges.
Trump also accused Newsom of racism and posted on social media that he can't read, has dyslexia, and has a mental disorder - A Cognitive Mess! Newsom retaliated, stating on social media that he had openly discussed his dyslexia.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities criticized Trump's comments, defending the capabilities of individuals with dyslexia, highlighting that many public figures, including past U.S. presidents, have had similar learning disabilities.
