This article originally appeared on the Daily Caller News Foundation and was republished with permission.
Guest post by Jason Cohen
Comedian Adam Carolla criticized Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom on the “PBD Podcast” Monday while reacting to a 2013 interview he conducted with him.
A viral clip of the interview consisted of Carolla pressing Newsom on his claim that about 50% of blacks and Hispanics in California lacked checking accounts. After watching the clip on the show, Carolla called Newsom “a sociopath” and said he was lying about the statistics.
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“He’s a sociopath. You have to be a sociopath to answer questions that way because I asked him 17 different times what is going on with these groups that they don’t have access to checking accounts, which, by the way, is BS,” Carolla said. “I mean, the notion that half the black and Hispanics — California is half Hispanic. Do you know how many people wouldn’t have access to a checking account if half of them?”
“So he gets out of the gate with BS. Look, he just lies. I mean, you really think in modern times, half of the people in California don’t have access to a checking account?” he continued. “And then when I try to get him to answer the question, he won’t answer the question.”
The comedian then mocked and expressed frustration with how Newsom answered his questions during the interview.
“By the way, this is not what you want in a leader. Because he presented a problem,” he said. “So, if I came into your home and I said, ‘You got a big termite problem in this house,’ and then you went, ‘How do we eradicate it?’ And I go, ‘It just is, you know,’ and then you go, ‘I know, but I want to fix it. How do we fix this problem?’ ‘That’s just the way it is.’”
“And then you go, ‘But how do we get the termites out of the house?’ I go, ‘A lot of houses have termites.’ And you keep asking the person — they won’t provide an answer,” he added. “It’s his job to fix this stuff. Okay? You’re in charge of California, and half the blacks and Hispanics don’t have access to checking accounts. What’s your plan? His answer: nothing. He just wanted to argue.”
Newsom led the pack of potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders with 21% support among registered voters who were Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents, according to a Yahoo/YouGov poll conducted from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2.
However, the governor has faced criticism for his state’s struggles under his leadership, including from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, another potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender.
“Here’s the reality, sir: with the homelessness, with the crime, with the cost of living in California, I can’t imagine Gavin Newsom winning a presidential election with what is going on in the state of California. Period,” Smith said on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” in April.
Homelessness has been a prevalent issue in California under Newsom’s tenure, with the state spending billions of dollars on the problem. The governor has blamed the problem on California’s policies that have barred adequate housing construction.
Moreover, he claimed on his “This Is Gavin Newsom” podcast in March that neither he nor his office used the term “Latinx.” However, CNN proved that his claim was false shortly after, showing footage and previous social media posts.
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