Rapper Nicki Minaj has publicly criticised Gavin Newsom following his recent speaking engagement in Georgia, accusing him of being condescending toward Black voters.
In a series of posts on X, Minaj reacted to a clip from Newsom’s appearance promoting his memoir, Young Man in a Hurry. She took issue with his tone and remarks during the event, writing that his way of connecting with Black people was by portraying himself as unintelligent and unable to read. She further accused him of deliberately slowing down his speech in a way she interpreted as patronising.
Reacting to a clip from the appearance, Minaj wrote, “His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read.”
She continued her criticism, adding, “He’s not just TELLING them that they’re probably stupid & probably can’t read, he’s LITERALLY SLOW-ING-DOWN-HIS-SPEECH to make them understand the words that are coming out of his mouth!!!!”
During the event, Newsom spoke about living with dyslexia and referenced his low SAT score while discussing how he overcame learning challenges. “I’m like you. I’m no better than you,” he said when asked about dealing with the disability.
Some social media commentary suggested that the audience at the event was predominantly Black. However, video footage of attendees lining up appeared to show a racially diverse crowd. The clip shared by Nicki Minaj featured Newsom alongside Andre Dickens, the Mayor of Atlanta, but did not show the audience.
Nicki Minaj’s remarks come amid what some observers describe as a shift in her political tone online. She has previously criticised Newsom over his support for transgender children.
Meanwhile, a recent report by Politico alleged that Minaj’s social media posts were amplified by what it described as a “coordinated network” of thousands of bots.
