A Fellow Dyslexic Comes to Newsom's Defense

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is dyslexic, and President Trump declared last week that it should disqualify him from the presidency. In a New York Times opinion piece, Molly Jong-Fast begs to differ. In fact, Newsom's dyslexia might actually be an advantage in some ways, she argues. Jong-Fast has a personal connection here: She, too, is dyslexic. "Having to survive in a world where everyone else could read and write made me cunning," she writes. In her view, dyslexia can sharpen problem-solving, force creative workarounds, and build the ability to see information differently—traits she recognizes in Newsom's speaking style and skillful debate performances.

While watching him debate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023, "I could see him trying to negotiate the facts, the data, the ideas he'd cataloged in his brain," writes Jong-Fast. "There is something strange and maybe a little wonderful about spending so much time thinking about how you process information and make sense of the world." Trump sees this inaccurately as a sign of "low IQ," writes Jong-Fast. "I'm not saying people with dyslexia are smarter," she adds. "But dyslexia forces you to think around corners that other people don't have to." Read the full piece.