When the Right Becomes What It Hates: The Newsom Fake Outrage

California Governor Gavin Newsom was falsely accused of racism by conservative figures who amplified a misleadingly edited clip. The incident reveals how the populist right has adopted the tactics it once criticized.

On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom found himself at the center of a racism controversy. But this time, it wasn't the left manufacturing outrage—it was the populist right.

The 38-Second Clip That Started It All

The story begins innocuously enough. In Atlanta, Newsom was being interviewed by Mayor Andre Dickens about his memoir. When asked what he wanted readers to know about him, particularly regarding his struggles with dyslexia, Newsom gave a heartfelt response about resilience and authenticity.

"Like so many folks, I put a mask on," Newsom said. "I wasn't who I am... I just want to put it all out there. I'm like you; I'm no better than you. I'm a 960 SAT guy. You've never seen me read a speech, because I cannot read a speech."

The 1 minute, 51-second exchange contained nothing racially offensive. The crowd appeared racially diverse, possibly mostly white. Newsom was answering a question about his message to book readers, not addressing any particular racial group.

But then came the distortion. An anonymous X account called End Wokeness with 3.9 million followers posted a 38-second edited clip with this misleading caption: "Gov. Newsom to a black crowd in GA: 'I am like you. I'm a 960 SAT guy. I can't read.'"

When Influencers Become Amplifiers

What happened next reveals the power—and danger—of social media influence. The false narrative was amplified by some of the most prominent voices on the right:

Elon Musk, owner of X. Donald Trump Jr. called it "insane and racist beyond belief." Senator Ted Cruz described Newsom as "dripping with racist condescension." Rapper Nicki Minaj claimed Newsom was "bonding with black ppl" by telling them "how stupid he is."

The list goes on: Senators Tim Scott and Rick Scott, broadcaster Megyn Kelly, podcasters Adam Carolla and Steven Crowder. Each added their voice to the chorus of outrage based on a fundamentally false premise.

The Voices of Reason (And Why They Matter)

Not everyone on the right joined the pile-on. Activist Chris Rufo pointed out that "the crowd appears to be heavily, if not mostly, white." Right-leaning journalist Brad Polumbo, despite being a "longtime critic of Newsom," concluded that "the claim that he engaged in any kind of racism falls apart under even the most cursory scrutiny."

These dissenting voices highlight something crucial: the willingness to challenge your own side's narrative, even when it's politically inconvenient.

Compare-Table: Left vs. Right Outrage Manufacturing

Aspect	Covington Catholic (2019)	Newsom Clip (2024)
Perpetrators	Twitter left	Populist right
Tactic	Out-of-context video clip	Misleadingly edited clip
Target	High school students	State governor
Amplifiers	Progressive activists, media	Conservative influencers, media
Outcome	False narrative spread	False narrative spread
Lesson Learned	Apparently none	History repeats

The Mirror Moment

The most striking aspect of this incident isn't the initial false post—anonymous accounts post misleading content constantly. It's who chose to amplify it without verification. Many of the prominent figures who attacked Newsom are the same people who once raged against what they saw as the left's manufacturing of racial controversies.

The New York Post ran with "Gavin Newsom Ripped for Telling Black Mayor 'I'm Like You' Before Quoting His Low SAT Score." Fox News reported on the "racist" viral clip. Traditional media outlets, which should serve as gatekeepers against misinformation, instead elevated the false narrative.

Perhaps the real question isn't whether this was racism, but whether our political discourse has become so poisoned that context no longer matters—only the narrative that serves our side.