Gavin Newsom, the Man Who Proclaims He Can't Even Read, Becomes a Best-Selling Author?
- Rex Ballard
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
California Governor Gavin Newsom is out there on the national stage right now, touting his shiny new memoir Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery as a runaway bestseller. The book hit the New York Times list. It’s a USA Today #1. Newsom’s team bragged that it sold tens of thousands of copies “organically” within hours of its release on February 24.
But remember, there is nothing real about Gavin Newsom. Here in the real world — the one where Californians are watching their grocery bills climb, their power rates skyrocket, and their streets fill with tents — the numbers tell a different story. A much less flattering one.
According to fresh federal campaign finance filings and a New York Times investigation, Newsom’s own political action committee — the Campaign for Democracy Committee — shelled out $1,561,875 to buy roughly 67,000 copies of his own book. That’s not grassroots love from readers. That’s donor dollars funneled straight into propping up the governor’s literary ambitions. Those bulk purchases accounted for about two-thirds of all print copies sold nationwide.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom – boasting about his "best seller" while his PAC writes the checks.
The scheme was as simple as it was shameless. Starting back in November, Newsom’s email blasts promised: Donate anything — even pocket change — and we’ll mail you a copy of the book. Tens of thousands bit. The PAC bought the books at cost and handed them out like campaign swag.
And here’s the part that makes your head spin: This is the same Gavin Newsom who, just weeks into his book tour in Atlanta, stood in front of a crowd and proudly declared he “cannot read a speech.” He leaned into his dyslexia, said he’s a “960 SAT guy,” and told the audience, “I’m like you… I’m no better than you.” He’s repeated variations of this for years — how reading was a “terrorizing” struggle.
Yet somehow, this guy who says he can’t read a speech just cranked out a full-length memoir about overcoming adversity and is now parading around as a literary success story.
The irony is thicker than Sacramento fog.
Newsom’s team initially touted strong “organic” sales. The New York Times even slapped a little dagger symbol next to his listing — their polite way of flagging the bulk buys. His defenders call this “smart fundraising.” They say the PAC netted more money from new donors than the books cost.
But let’s be honest about what this really is: the ultimate insider game. While California families are scraping by, Newsom’s political machine spent $1.5 million of donor cash to manufacture a “bestseller” credential he can wave around on cable news and in early 2028 presidential chatter.
Gavin Newsom can’t read a speech, but he sure knows how to read a political opportunity. He wrote the book on self-promotion — literally. The only question left is whether California voters will keep buying what he’s selling.
Sources
The New York Times – “How Gavin Newsom Boosted His Book Sales With $1.5 Million From His PAC” (April 16, 2026): https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/us/politics/newsom-book-donors.html
Fox News – “Newsom PAC bought thousands of memoir copies” and Atlanta book tour remarks: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/newsom-pac-bought-thousands-memoir-copies-about-his-hardships-juicing-sales and https://www.foxnews.com/politics/newsom-tells-georgia-crowd-i-am-like-you-im-960-sat-guy
New York Post – “Embarrassing tactic Gavin Newsom used to boost his book sales”: https://nypost.com/2026/04/16/us-news/embarrassing-new-details-emerge-about-gavin-newsoms-book-sales/
Washington Free Beacon – NYT bestseller list with dagger symbol details: https://freebeacon.com/democrats/new-york-times-puts-gavin-newsom-on-best-sellers-list-despite-bulk-sales-it-has-used-to-disqualify-conservatives/
Amazon / Publisher – Book details and cover: https://www.amazon.com/Young-Man-Hurry-Memoir-Discovery/dp/1984881930
