Newsom Accused of Passing the Buck on California's Problems as He Eyes White House

Governor faces criticism for shifting blame to counties over struggling homelessness plan and other issues.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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California Governor Gavin Newsom is under fire for blaming counties for the problems with his signature CARE Court homelessness policy, the latest example of what critics say is his tendency to 'pass the buck' on the state's challenges as he eyes a potential presidential run. Newsom has also been accused of blaming external factors like the war in Iran for high gas prices in California rather than taking responsibility for the state's policies that contribute to the problem.

Why it matters

Newsom's apparent unwillingness to take ownership of California's problems and provide real leadership is raising concerns about his suitability as a potential presidential candidate. Critics argue he is more focused on his national ambitions than solving the state's pressing issues like homelessness, the budget, and energy policy.

The details

Newsom pointed the finger at San Francisco and Santa Clara counties for lagging on implementing his CARE Court policy, which aims to compel mentally ill or substance-addicted people into treatment. He threatened to redirect funding from counties he deems aren't doing enough. However, the CARE Court program has so far helped far fewer people than initially estimated, with most petitions being tossed out in counties like San Francisco and Los Angeles. Newsom has also been accused of blaming external factors like the war in Iran for California's high gas prices, rather than taking responsibility for the state's policies that contribute to the problem.

  • In 2024, the number of homeless Californians increased from 129,972 in 2018 to more than 187,000.
  • On Monday, Newsom placed ten counties on an 'Improvement list' and threatened to yank funding from those he thinks aren't doing enough on CARE Court.

The players

Gavin Newsom

The Governor of California who is facing criticism for shifting blame to counties for his struggling homelessness plan and other issues as he eyes a potential presidential run.

Tony Strickland

A Republican state senator from Huntington Beach who accused Newsom of 'passing the buck' and not providing real leadership to address California's challenges.

Roger Niello

A Republican state senator from Sacramento who supported Newsom's CARE Court idea but criticized the governor for blaming local governments for its failures.

James R. Williams

The Santa Clara County executive who said the county's approach to CARE Court was grounded in 'what works' rather than 'defaulting to lengthy, costly, and often inadequate court-based processes.'

Steve Hilton

A Republican gubernatorial candidate who accused Newsom of blaming 'Trump's war on Iran' for California's high gas prices rather than the state's own policies.

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What they’re saying

“Governor Newsom keeps passing the buck. When his CARE Court initiative falters, homelessness worsens, or gas prices rise, he blames counties or external factors instead of providing real leadership.”

— Tony Strickland, State Senator (nypost.com)

“Now he compounds that questionable logic by blaming the failure on local governments. He has a repeated practice of blaming his own shortcomings on others.”

— Roger Niello, State Senator (nypost.com)

“Everyone knows it's Newsom's insane climate policies that have given us the highest gas prices in the country, not 'Trump's war on Iran'. Newsom's ridiculous spin is a preemptive strike on the truth: that when gas prices spike even higher in the next few months in California it will be because of Newsom's war on California oil production, hurting the working class the most.”

— Steve Hilton, Republican Gubernatorial Candidate (nypost.com)

“Santa Clara County's approach is grounded in 'what works' rather than 'defaulting to lengthy, costly, and often inadequate court-based processes'.”

— James R. Williams, Santa Clara County Executive (CalMatters)

What’s next

The judge in the CARE Court cases will decide in the coming weeks whether to allow the program to continue in counties that Newsom has threatened to withhold funding from.

The takeaway

Newsom's tendency to shift blame to counties and external factors rather than take responsibility for California's problems is raising concerns about his leadership and suitability as a potential presidential candidate. His critics argue he is more focused on his national ambitions than solving the state's pressing issues.