MLB's Tommy Pham Criticizes Gavin Newsom's Comments About Black People

Pham and Nicki Minaj call out California governor for seeming to imply Black people are less intelligent.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Major League Baseball player Tommy Pham criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom for comments he made that seemed to imply Black people are less intelligent. Newsom had said he has a low SAT score of 960 and was trying to relate to a predominantly Black audience by saying "I'm like you. I'm not better than you." Pham and rapper Nicki Minaj both called out Newsom's comments as offensive and condescending.

Why it matters

Newsom's comments have sparked outrage, with critics accusing him of perpetuating harmful stereotypes about the intelligence of Black people. As a prominent political figure, Newsom's words carry significant weight and influence, making this incident an important example of the need for elected leaders to be mindful of the impact their statements can have, especially when discussing issues of race.

The details

In an Instagram Story, Pham wrote that he was a straight-A student who scored well on the SAT, and said "He thinks black ppl are dumb." Minaj also blasted Newsom on Twitter, saying he was "LITERALLY SLOW-ING-DOWN-HIS-SPEECH to make them understand" as if the Black audience were "children." Newsom later said he was referring to his own struggle with dyslexia, but many found his comments to be insensitive and condescending.

  • On February 25, 2026, Tommy Pham criticized Gavin Newsom's comments on his Instagram Story.
  • On February 23, 2026, Nicki Minaj criticized Newsom's comments on Twitter.

The players

Tommy Pham

A 37-year-old Major League Baseball free agent who has played 12 seasons in the Majors.

Gavin Newsom

The 58-year-old Governor of California who is considered a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate.

Nicki Minaj

A 43-year-old rapper who blasted Newsom's comments on Twitter.

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What they’re saying

“I was a straight A student and scored well on my SAT. He thinks black ppl are dumb.”

— Tommy Pham (Instagram)

“His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can't read. He's not just TELLING them that they're all 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!!!! As if they're children!!!! That means he REALLY BELIEVES they're slow. He's not just saying it—he didn't misspeak!!!! He BELIEVES it!!!! Do ya love it?!?!! Do ya just love it, black ppl?!????”

— Nicki Minaj (Twitter)

The takeaway

Newsom's comments have been widely condemned as perpetuating harmful stereotypes about the intelligence of Black people, highlighting the need for elected leaders to be more mindful and sensitive when discussing issues of race and diversity.