Homeless living in tents in Beverly Hills is a problem not because of where it is, but a symptom of rapidly expanding problems in California, according to Republican gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner.
"When you drive in Beverly Hills and you look at the park, and there's tents in the park, we have to look at that issue very seriously," she told Los Angeles Fox 11's "The Issue Is" on Friday, Politico reported.
"But to be honest with you on a big picture, living in a tent in a park in Beverly Hills, it's just different today. Before, the homeless were all downtown. I'm sure you've been downtown. I mean, you walk down there, and it's just like so tough, so difficult on these people."
The comments come after Jenner was resoundingly chastised for telling Fox News' "Hannity" California homelessness was so bad a fellow Malibu-area plane owner was packing up and leaving the state for Arizona, because he "can't take" seeing homeless people in the streets.
"The guy right across, he was packing up his hangar," Jenner told host Sean Hannity from her own plane hangar. "And he says, 'I'm moving to Sedona, Arizona. I can't take it anymore. I can't walk down the streets and see the homeless.'"
Homelessness in California is not a new thing – there was even a movie titled "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" released in 1986 about a rich family whose lives changed when they found a homeless person trying to drown himself in their pool.
Politico panned Jenner for saying "50% of all homeless people live in California," citing a federal report estimating California has 28% of the nation's homeless.
Regardless, Jenner sees a "massive problem" that is expanding in the nation's largest state – Democrat controlled for decades – and does not need to be explained away and requires a "hands-on governor."
"We need to do a better job, and the only way to get it done is to have a governor who makes it a priority," she said, noting she will call on "charitable groups" to help build affordable housing for Californians left behind by Democrat policies.
Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a recall election and a potential challenge from Jenner, a former Olympic champion and an activist for the transgender movement.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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