Newsom staffer tells reporter to 'f*ck off' when she asks about governor's dyslexia

A spokesperson for California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom told a reporter to “f*ck off” after she requested documentation related to the governor’s claim over the weekend that he had dyslexia.

RealClearPolitics correspondent Susan Crabtree asked Newsom’s office for medical records verifying Newsom’s claim that he was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child in 1972. Crabtree posted a screenshot of an email to social media in which Newsom’s communications director, Izzy Gardon, replied: “Respectfully, f*ck off.”

Fox News asked Gardon if the message reflected the governor’s position, to which the spokesperson said Crabtree “can f*ck off.” Asked whether Newsom shared that sentiment, Gardon told the outlet that the governor “literally has no idea who Susan is.”

During an event promoting his new book "Young Man in a Hurry," Newsom, while speaking with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, described himself as a “960 SAT guy,” then joked about not wanting to “offend anyone” who scored lower. He also suggested his dyslexia affects his ability to give speeches, claiming that’s why people don’t see him reading remarks, adding, “Maybe the wrong business to be in.”

Crabtree told Fox News, "Californians and all Americans deserve real answers about Newsom’s claims, not lazy, expletive-laced deflections and hand gestures from a politician from a failed state who wants to be president. I’m going to continue to ask the tough questions despite this vitriolic taxpayer-funded attempt to intimidate me." 

She also suggested that Gardon’s reaction may have been due to a book she co-authored last year about alleged corruption in California government. Newsom, a presumed frontrunner for the Democrats’ presidential nomination in 2028, has not commented.