In a viral video clip, Gov. Tony Evers said people should give up on some kids because “those kids that are struggling in those areas aren’t ever gonna read anyway.”

The video shows Evers sitting on a panel with the words “Aspen Institute” behind him. It’s not clear when the video was taken. It started going viral this week when it was shared by the Colbey Decker X page. WATCH:

“Those kids that are struggling in those areas aren’t ever gonna read anyway.” – Tony Evers

If literacy is treated as optional for some kids, what is school even for?

The last 16 years were a deliberate reordering of priorities within DPI and K-12 education in Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/EQiC8A66gg

— Colbey Decker (@ColbeyDecker) August 17, 2026

Right before that statement, Evers was talking about kids who are struggling in the areas of mental health and “social and emotional learning.”

After the clip went viral, Evers’ spokeswoman Britt Cudaback tried to bail him out, writing, “The idea that kids who are hungry or in crisis or housing insecure, etc., aren’t going to be able to bring their best and full selves to the classroom to be able to learn, read, and engage with their peers is well-documented.”

Okay, but what Evers said was: “Those kids that are struggling in those areas aren’t ever gonna read anyway.”