Opinion

When even Obama calls your homeless situation an ‘atrocity,’ it’s time for new solutions

Former president's critique lands on Newsom's doorstep as tent cities persist despite record spending

By Kate Monroe Fox News

Published March 2, 2026 7:00am EST

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Obama calling out LA’s homeless problem is a ‘thinly veiled swipe’ at Newsom, Bass, former Trump official says

Former Trump 2024 deputy communications director Caroline Sunshine discusses former President Barack Obama’s comments on L.A.’s homeless problem and billionaires leaving California on ‘Fox News @ Night.’

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In one of the wealthiest places on Earth, thousands are living in tent cities on the streets of Los Angeles, an "atrocity" that even former Democrat President Barack Obama recently acknowledged on a podcast. He slammed the moral failure of allowing people to languish without real help while noting that encampments downtown are a "losing political strategy." He demanded policies that "recognize their full humanity" and provide genuine resources for success.

But this is not simply a moral failure, it is a structural one.

Though Obama didn’t name Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom directly, the critique lands squarely on his doorstep — after all, Newsom has been at the helm as California’s homelessness ballooned to record highs, even after more than $24 billion was funneled into solving the problem since 2019. Newsom’s team claims agreement with Obama, touting mental health reforms and encampment cleanups, but the reality on the ground tells a different story.

As a California native who has spent years working directly on the streets helping move homeless veterans into treatment and off encampments, I’ve seen firsthand that........

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