Gavin Newsom Atlanta Audience Was Predominantly White

Gavin Newsom wasn't making racist remarks during a recent event -- since it looked like he was the intermission entertainment at a Coldplay concert -- so says our own Harvey Levin.

The TMZ executive producer tore into the misinformed outrage directed at the Governor of California after he related his own education and background to the audience at a book event in Atlanta, Georgia.

If you haven't seen the clip ... Governor Newsom basically says he had a mediocre SAT score and he can't read well due to his severe dyslexia ... so he's no better than anyone in the audience.

Many -- including newly minted MAGA movement star Nicki Minaj -- called Newsom's comments racist ... claiming he meant Black people are stupid and can't read because the audience must be mostly Black in the ATL.

But, just take a look at the crowd, captured in new photos -- it's a predominantly white audience watching the event -- pop goes the racism argument.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens defended Governor Newsom ... telling outsiders to keep their mouths shut instead of telling his citizens what should offend them.

Newsom has also defended himself by arguing Republicans didn't care when the prez posted an A.I. vid of the Obamas as monkeys ... so nitpicking his comments is totally unfair.

HL says this is just another example of the "circular firing squads" former President Obama warned about ... because Dems jumped on Newsom instead of standing by their own.