Gavin Newsom Claps Back Hard After Trump Tries To Insult His 'Cognitive Deficiency' At Kentucky Rally

California Governor Gavin Newsom hit back at President Donald Trump after Trump claimed at his Kentucky rally on Wednesday that Newsom isn't fit for the presidency because he has a "cognitive deficiency."

Newsom is widely seen as a viable Democratic contender for the 2028 election—and Trump couldn't resist taking a jab at the man who has made headlines numerous times in the last year for criticizing the Trump administration in a style not unlike the posts Trump publishes on Truth Social.

He said:

"He [Newsom] admitted he has mental problems, that he’s not a smart person, that he has a mental lack of ability, he’s unable to read a speech. All of the other things, he's said he has a lot of mental problems."

"I was attacked by a reporter who said, 'What's wrong with it?' I said, 'Nothing's wrong with it but I don't want the president of the United States to have a cognitive deficiency.' And when he admitted this, I said, 'I think he just lost the Democratic nomination. What do I know?'"

"You know what? I'm for everybody but when it comes to president, you've gotta be sharp. You've gotta be sharp as hell."

You can hear what Trump said in the video below.

Newsom responded in kind:

"I don't want the president of the United States to have a cognitive deficiency." Too late."

You can see Newsom's post below.

Trump's remarks are a massive case of projection.

He has previously been criticized for bragging about acing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), which he's referred to as an "intelligence test."

While he bragged about acing an exam used to assess cognitive impairment, he failed to understand that the higher your score, the worse the outcome—and that claiming he performed better than Democrats would if they were in his position isn't at all a good thing.

Trump, trying to cover for always falling asleep during meetings and events, recently told The Wall Street Journal that photographers "take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink."

He was also mocked after he explained to New York Magazine that the reason why he's constantly photographed with his eyes closed is not because he's sleeping but because the meetings he attends are "boring as hell."

Trump said he has to "sit back and listen, and I move my hand so that people will know I'm listening" and that while he is "hearing every word," he nonetheless "can't wait to get out."

Between all of these obvious signs of age-related decline—including strange bruises on his hands and neck—people are joining Newsom in calling out his latest bonkers claim.

Of course, as with all things Trump, every accusation is ultimately a confession.