WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Lauryn Muller was scrolling on social media when she saw a clip of belittling for having dyslexia. It stirred a well of emotion for the 18-year-old Muller, bringing back memories of her own struggles learning to read and the times she felt something was wrong with her.
Trump called 草莓传媒om “stupid,鈥� 鈥渓ow IQ,鈥� 鈥渕entally disabled鈥� and unfit to become president. Muller knew it was part of a political feud 鈥� Trump is a Republican and 草莓传媒om is a Democrat who is expected to run for the White House in 2028 鈥� but Trump鈥檚 words felt personal.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had to overcome so many deficits, and for someone to, on a national stage, say, yeah, they will never be like us 鈥� that definitely came as an emotional sting to me,鈥� said Muller, an incoming student at Auburn University whose dyslexia was identified as a child.
It was one more entry in Trump鈥檚 history of denigrating the intelligence of his foes and mocking those with disabilities. Yet this time he was maligning tens of millions of people, calling their abilities into question and undermining years of progress fighting stigma around dyslexia.
Among those with dyslexia, his remarks aroused feelings from anguish and anger to dismay. It cut across politics, drawing a rebuke from supporters and critics alike.
Muller’s mother, Marilyn, voted for Trump three times and says she still supports his politics. But she was hurt when Trump linked dyslexia with low intelligence 鈥� a dated myth that she has spent years trying to dispel.
鈥淚t works against everything I do on a daily basis,鈥� said Marilyn Muller, a literacy advocate in Florida. 鈥淚t was probably one of the more ignorant comments I have ever heard come from his mouth.鈥�
A learning disability often misunderstood
Trump鈥檚 comments clash with a large body of research finding that dyslexia and IQ are unrelated. They also conflict with statements he issued during his first term for national awareness months, heaping praise on the 鈥渆xtraordinary contributions鈥� of those with dyslexia and noting that their ranks include top industry executives and inventors.
Often misunderstood, dyslexia affects the link between the brain and printed language, making it difficult for people to read. Dyslexia often emerges in childhood as kids learn to read and write. It is estimated to affect up to 20% of the world population.
鈥淎ll of a sudden, you鈥檙e not doing so well in school and then people will tell you, oh, you鈥檙e not trying, you鈥檙e not smart or whatever, and none of that鈥檚 accurate. You just have this difference in that bridge from language to print,鈥� said John Gabrieli, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
草莓传媒om has for years discussed his dyslexia, including in a as well as a new memoir. On his recent book tour, he talked about memorizing speeches because he is unable to read them. He described it as a struggle and a gift, saying it forced him to develop other skills.
Trump latched on to some of 草莓传媒om’s comments. 鈥淗e can鈥檛 read a speech, he can鈥檛 do almost anything,鈥� Trump said during a Cabinet meeting in March. 鈥淗e鈥檚 actually a very stupid person.鈥�
He added: 鈥淚 think a president should not have learning disabilities.鈥�
Trump acknowledged his departure from decorum, saying it鈥檚 鈥渉ighly controversial to say such a horrible thing.鈥� He went on to say it at least four more times.
草莓传媒om’s office declined to comment for this story and referred to the governor’s social media posts. 鈥淟earning differences don鈥檛 define your limits, they shape your strengths,鈥� 草莓传媒om wrote in one post. 鈥淎nd no one, not even the President of the United States, gets to decide your worth.鈥�
Little GOP pushback to Trump’s comments
In Utah, Lia Beatty said she has become inured to Trump’s brash behavior, but she still sees danger in his latest tirades. People listen to the president, and young people with dyslexia might hear those comments and believe they count for less, said Beatty, 27, who has dyslexia and runs a university neurobiology lab.
鈥淭he harm isn鈥檛 necessarily in the headline. It鈥檚 what happens quietly,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the student in the classroom who stops raising their hand, the college applicant who hides how they learn, the employee who doesn鈥檛 pursue a promotion that they鈥檙e more than qualified for.鈥�
Until she saw his comments circulating on social media, Beatty had been keeping quiet about her acceptance to a doctoral neuroscience program at Dartmouth College. She made it public in a social media post aiming to undercut Trump.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to acknowledge that, yeah, the rooms 鈥� they weren鈥檛 made for us, but we鈥檙e still getting in them,鈥� Beatty said.
On Capitol Hill, there is a strong history of bipartisan support for people with dyslexia. A House caucus is devoted to the issue, with vocal champions from both parties. Yet there has been little Republican pushback to Trump鈥檚 comments.
Trump’s remarks did not come up Wednesday at a congressional roundtable on dyslexia, organized by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., whose daughter has dyslexia and whose wife runs a school for children with dyslexia. After the event, Cassidy refused to respond directly to Trump’s remarks.
鈥淎ll I can say is that a child with dyslexia will grow to be, often times, a very talented adult,鈥� Cassidy, who is up for reelection but did not get Trump’s endorsement, told The Associated Press. 鈥淭here鈥檚 people who have self-identified as dyslexic who have become CEOs of hospitals and of great businesses.鈥�
There has been no comment from Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., co-chair of the dyslexia caucus.
Some in Trump’s circles have detailed struggles with dyslexia
Advocates have noted that some past presidents probably did have dyslexia.
Woodrow Wilson wrote about his difficulty learning to read and he became an early adopter of the typewriter as one of many workarounds, said John M. Cooper, a presidential historian and Wilson biographer.
Some in Trump鈥檚 circles have spoken about difficulties with dyslexia.
Gary Cohn, the architect of Trump鈥檚 signature tax bill from his first term, has talked at length about struggling with dyslexia as a child. He went on to become a business titan and president of Goldman Sachs.
Advocates say Trump鈥檚 words threaten to reverse years of progress unwinding stereotypes. His comments also raise questions about promises his administration has made to protect students with disabilities even as , which oversees the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, said it will be hard for families to trust Trump’s education appointees 鈥渨hen their boss is making these really stigmatizing and really inaccurate statements.鈥�
In Decatur, Georgia, Meagan Swingle said Trump鈥檚 comments made her sick to her stomach. She brought it up with her 15-year-old son, Enrique, who has dyslexia, knowing he might hear about the remarks at school. Enrique, who excels in math and science, brushed it off, she said.
But it stuck with her.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that he remembers a time like I do when, whether you were a Democrat or a Republican or an independent, you could expect a higher standard from the president of the United States,鈥� she said. 鈥� We build people up, we don鈥檛 tear them down.鈥�
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