I was scrolling on TikTok when I came across a video of our president. Politics is not really my thing, and I typically keep scrolling — but something told me to stop and watch.
And I have to say, I am livid. Honestly? You should be, too.
The clip was from a press conference where Trump was asked about Gavin Newsom and his potential 2028 presidential run. Newsom has dyslexia, and Trump used his disability as leverage to insult not only Newsom but every single person living with a disability.
Trump stated: “We have a low IQ person…he has learning disabilities. Honestly, I’m all for people with learning disabilities, but not for my president. I don’t want — I think the president should not have learning disabilities, okay, and I know it’s highly controversial to say such a horrible thing…Everything about him is dumb.”
Do me a favor and sit with that for a second. Read it again as many times as you need.
The President of the United States said that.
Not only is it offensive, but it’s factually wrong.
Dyslexia does not affect intelligence. I know this because I learned it in graduate school. One evening, while sitting in class, my professor stated matter-of-factly that dyslexia does not affect a person’s IQ. I remember my eyes going wide. I sat up straighter because, like so many people, I had assumed otherwise.
Dyslexia affects language processing, reading, and spelling. That’s it. It has nothing to do with IQ. Could someone autistic or another disabled person also have dyslexia, and separately have a lower IQ? Yes, absolutely. But dyslexia alone does not equate to having an intellectual disability. That is not how it works.
Now, let’s talk about the words that followed. Trump said, “Everything about him is dumb.” Why? What was that about? Because from where I’m standing, he wasn’t talking about policies or decisions. He was directly linking Newsom’s learning disability to his intelligence. And that is where I draw the line.
The President of the United States called someone with a disability dumb. Do we understand how serious that is? Because everyone should be as furious as I am right now.
We have worked so hard — as educators, advocates, families, and communities — to build a world that is more inclusive, understanding, and equitable for people with disabilities. Statements like this threaten to undo that progress. And we cannot allow that.
I say this not just as a writer, but as a special education teacher with a master’s degree, as a sister to two autistic brothers, and as someone who has been advocating for people with disabilities her entire life.
You think people with disabilities are dumb? Tell that to a musical savant. Tell it to the first grader in a self-contained classroom who can solve 9th-grade math problems. Tell it to the student who hits you with the most perfectly timed, hilarious response when you least expect it.
In case it wasn’t obvious, that is intelligence.
If you think people with disabilities are dumb, you simply haven’t spent enough time with them. People with disabilities are full human beings — they have feelings, depth, humor, and capabilities just like everyone else. They can do and be anything they set their minds to, on their own terms and at their own pace.
If you have a disability and Trump’s ignorant words hurt you, please hear this: do not let him define you. Do not let anyone define you. Only you know your potential, and it is limitless.
Trump, you made me angry. But you will not stop me from showing up for this community — this brilliant, creative, loving, and resilient community that I am endlessly proud to serve and advocate for.
You could have gotten to know them, could have seen firsthand the joy and the gifts they bring to this world.
But after this? I don’t think you’ve earned that privilege.
Do better.
Featured image via History in HD on Unsplash
