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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, blasted California Gov. Gavin Newsom on social media, posting a clown emoji after the Golden State governor claimed that the lawmaker from the Lone Star State had called him “illiterate.”
Cruz had actually referred to Newsom as “historically illiterate.”
But Newsom, who is dyslexic, fired back, writing, “Ted Cruz calling a dyslexic person illiterate is a new low, even for him.”
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom looks on during a bill signing event related to redrawing the state’s congressional maps on August 21, 2025, in Sacramento, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Cruz pointed out that he had not claimed that the governor is unable to read.
“I didn’t say you couldn’t read, you [clown emoji],” Cruz responded.
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, arrives to a hearing in the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 17, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
“I said you were ‘historically illiterate’,” he added, “because you apparently have no idea that Eisenhower federalized the national guard to stop Dem governors from defying federal law. Specifically, on September 23, 1957, President Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10730, federalizing the Arkansas National Guard & ordering U.S. Army troops (101st Airborne Div) to Little Rock, Arkansas. This action broke the blockade by Dem Gov Orval Faubus, allowing the Little Rock Nine to desegregate Central High School.”
Others, including conservative talk radio host and OutKick founder Clay Travis, also weighed in on Newsom’s claim that Cruz had called him illiterate.
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14 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Gavin Newsom, Governor of the US state of California, takes part in the 62nd Munich Security Conference. (Marijan Murat/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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“He called you ‘historically illiterate,’ which means you don’t know basic history. You not having ever heard of this phrase or knowing what it means makes you a moron,” Travis wrote.
