Trump's dyslexia remarks stir anguish among people with learning disability

President Donald Trump’s remarks linking California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s dyslexia to low intelligence stirred anguish and anger among people with the learning disability and supporters across the political spectrum. Trump called Newsom “stupid,” “low IQ,” and “mentally disabled,” claims that conflict with research showing dyslexia and intelligence are unrelated and that undermine years of efforts to reduce stigma around a condition affecting an estimated 20% of the world population.

Trump’s comments, made as his administration has promised to protect students with disabilities, raise questions about the credibility of those commitments and highlight how public figures can shape public perception of learning disabilities.

Trump’s remarks clash with research and his own prior statements

President Trump has said his comments linking dyslexia to low intelligence are “highly controversial,” yet he repeated the claims at least four times. During a March Cabinet meeting, Trump said of Newsom: “He can’t read a speech, he can’t do almost anything. He’s actually a very stupid person. I think a president should not have learning disabilities.”

Newsom has for years discussed his dyslexia publicly, including in a 2021 children’s book and his recent memoir. On his book tour, he described the condition as both a struggle and a gift, saying it forced him to develop other skills. Newsom’s office declined to comment on Trump’s remarks, instead posting on social media: “Learning differences don’t define your limits, they shape your strengths. And no one, not even the President of the United States, gets to decide your worth.”

The comments conflict with research on dyslexia. John Gabrieli, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explained: “All of a sudden, you’re not doing so well in school and then people will tell you, oh, you’re not trying, you’re not smart or whatever, and none of that’s accurate. You just have this difference in that bridge from language to print.”

Impact on people with dyslexia

Lauryn Muller, an 18-year-old incoming Auburn University student with dyslexia, said Trump’s remarks stirred what she called an emotional blow. “We’ve had to overcome so many deficits, and for someone to, on a national stage, say, yeah, they will never be like us — that definitely came as an emotional sting to me,” Muller said.

Her mother, Marilyn Muller, a literacy advocate in Florida, voted for Trump three times but found his comments deeply troubling. “It works against everything I do on a daily basis,” she said. “It was probably one of the more ignorant comments I have ever heard come from his mouth.”

Lia Beatty, 27, who has dyslexia and runs a university neurobiology lab, warned of the broader harm beyond headlines. “The harm isn’t necessarily in the headline. It’s what happens quietly,” Beatty said. “It’s the student in the classroom who stops raising their hand, the college applicant who hides how they learn, the employee who doesn’t pursue a promotion that they’re more than qualified for.”

Beatty made her acceptance to a doctoral neuroscience program at Dartmouth College public following Trump’s comments, saying: “I think it’s important to acknowledge that, yeah, the rooms — they weren’t made for us, but we’re still getting in them.”

What dyslexia actually is

Dyslexia is not linked to intelligence. It affects an estimated 20 percent of the world population and disrupts the connection between the brain and printed language, making reading difficult. The condition often emerges in childhood.

Trump’s latest remarks contradicted statements he issued during his first term for disability awareness months, in which he praised the “extraordinary contributions” of people with dyslexia and noted that their ranks include top industry executives and inventors.

Gary Cohn, the architect of Trump’s first-term tax bill, has spoken publicly about struggling with dyslexia as a child. He went on to become a business executive and served as president of Goldman Sachs.

Political response and policy stakes

Despite a history of bipartisan support for dyslexia policy on Capitol Hill, few Republicans have publicly challenged Trump’s remarks. A House caucus is devoted to the issue, with vocal champions from both parties.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, whose daughter has dyslexia and whose wife runs a school for dyslexic children, appeared at a congressional roundtable on dyslexia this week. Afterward, Cassidy declined to address Trump’s comments directly but said: “All I can say is that a child with dyslexia will grow to be, often times, a very talented adult. There’s people who have self-identified as dyslexic who have become CEOs of hospitals and of great businesses.”

Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Arkansas, co-chair of the dyslexia caucus, did not comment on Trump’s remarks.

Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, said it will be difficult for families to trust Trump’s education appointees “when their boss is making these really stigmatizing and really inaccurate statements.” Trump’s administration has promised to protect students with disabilities while simultaneously working to dismantle the Department of Education, which oversees the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Meagan Swingle in Georgia said Trump’s comments troubled her deeply. She discussed them with her 15-year-old son, Enrique, who has dyslexia and excels in math and science. “I don’t know that he remembers a time like I do when, whether you were a Democrat or a Republican or an independent, you could expect a higher standard from the president of the United States,” she said. “We build people up, we don’t tear them down.”