WATCH: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul SLAMMED For 'Racist' Comment Claiming 'Black Kids' Don't Know The Word 'Computer'

At the Milken Institute Global Conference in California on Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) humiliated herself after claiming that "black kids" in New York City don't know what a computer is during a discussion on artificial intelligence. Her comments received immediate backlash on social media, and she was forced to issue an apology not long after the inappropriate statement.

"Young black kids growing up in the Bronx who don't even know what the word 'computer' is. They don't know," Hochul told the gathering of businessmen and billionaires at the high-profile summit. "They don't know these things, and I want the world to open up to all of them because when you have their diverse voices innovating solutions through technology, then you are really addressing society's broader challenges."

The New York Democrat's comments received pushback from many online, with CJ Pearson, a black man, writing, "The Democrat Gov of New York [Kathy Hochul] just argued that young black children don't even know what a computer is. As a young black man, I have a message for the Governor: I am TIRED of racist ass Democrats like her. Imagine if Donald Trump said ANYTHING remotely similar?"

Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) also slammed Hochul for her remarks, writing, "It's not a surprise that some of these folks actually believe that black people are too stupid to get an ID, when the liberal Democrat Governor of New York thinks they're too stupid to know what the word 'computer' means. If a Republican lawmaker spewed this type of racist garbage, it would be the headline of the NYT, it would be on the front page of the Washington Post, and The View would dedicate an entire episode to it."

"Not only is this comment by Kathy Hochul racist, it's stupid, and it demonstrates her total and complete ignorance," Hunt added. "Look around the Bronx, hell, look around your state, Kathy, you think there's a single young black kid not walking around with a smartphone? Computer? They have one in their pocket!"

Hochul later attempted damage control on Monday evening, saying, "I misspoke, and I regret it. Of course, Black children in the Bronx know what computers are — the problem is that they too often lack access to the technology needed to get on track to high-paying jobs in emerging industries like AI."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul: Black people in the Bronx “don’t know what a computer is”

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