Barack Obama took a thinly veiled jab at California Gov. Gavin Newsom over the homeless “atrocity” in Los Angeles on Saturday.
During a conversation with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama explained: “We should recognize that the average person doesn’t want to have to navigate around a tent city in the middle of downtown.
”That’s a losing political strategy.”
“I think it is morally — ethically speaking — it is an atrocity that in a country this wealthy, we have people just on the streets, and we should insist on policies that recognize their full humanity — people who are houseless — and be able to provide them with the help and resources that they need.”
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Meanwhile, at his State of the State address at the Capitol last month, Newsom celebrated a statewide drop in homelessness; however, Los Angelenos were not here for false hopes.
Business owners, residents, and local leaders said the governor’s claims of a 9% decline did not match the reality of widespread encampments and frequent public drug use.
Even inside the Capitol, lawmakers responded cautiously after Newsom’s victory lap.
California has spent more than $24 billion on homelessness programs during Newsom’s time as governor, with spending increasing each year.
In 2024, homelessness reached a record high across the state, with nearly 124,000 people unsheltered, according to federal data. Newsom did not share a statewide total for 2025, and updated federal census data is not yet available.
