California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken aim at President Donald Trump’s mental sharpness after the president launched into a peculiar explanation of the difference between the words 'sea' and 'see' during a White House event.
Trump's Mother's Day Remarks
Speaking at a Mother’s Day gathering for military families on Wednesday, Trump veered off-topic while discussing drug trafficking. 'You see drug traffic coming into our country is way down,' he told the audience in the East Room. 'And by sea, by sea, by ocean, by the water.' He then added, 'You know a lot of people say “what do you mean by sea?” Is it see, like vision? No, it’s sea, S-E-A.'
The 79-year-old president’s digression prompted an immediate response from Newsom, who took to social media platform X to mock Trump and propose a cognitive challenge. Mimicking Trump’s characteristic all-caps style, the Democratic governor wrote: '“LITTLE D’S” BRAIN IS DECLINING RAPIDLY IN REAL TIME. TODAY HE WAS CONFUSED BY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “SEE” AND “SEA.” VERY SAD!'
Newsom's Challenge
Newsom went further, issuing a direct challenge: 'I HEREBY CHALLENGE GRANDPA TO A LIVE COGNITIVE TEST ON NATIONAL TELEVISION.' He suggested Fox News host Sean Hannity as a moderator—Hannity previously moderated a debate between Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in 2023—and offered Trump three lifelines. The governor added a mock test sequence: '“PERSON, MAN, CAMERA, TV, SQUIRREL, ELEPHANT, GIRAFFE,” LET’S SEE WHO PASSES!!!'
This comes after Trump boasted on Monday about acing cognitive tests, including one where he identified a squirrel among other animals.
White House Response
White House spokesman Davis Ingle fired back at Newsom, calling him 'the worst governor in America' and 'the dumbest.' Ingle contrasted Trump's sharpness with what he described as a cover-up of Joe Biden’s mental decline by Democrats. The Independent has sought comment from the White House.
This incident is the latest in a series of verbal sparring matches between Newsom and Trump. Newsom, seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender, has previously called Trump a 'moron,' a 'HISTORIC LOSER,' and the 'King of Bull****.' Trump, in turn, labeled Newsom 'an admittedly low-IQ person,' 'dumb,' and 'essentially incompetent' in a Truth Social post on May 2.
