Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democratic candidate for California governor, said Democrats cannot blame President Donald Trump for the state's homelessness and cost-of-living crises.
The comments signal a shift in campaign strategy for some Democrats, suggesting that focusing on internal state policy is more effective than targeting federal leadership to solve local crises.
Villaraigosa, who served as Los Angeles mayor from 2005 to 2013 [1], said the remarks during an interview on MS NOW’s “The Weekend: Primetime” and in campaign statements released to the press on Saturday, May 17, 2026.
“Democrats and my fellow candidates for governor can’t put everything wrong with the Golden State on President Trump,” Villaraigosa said [2]. He said Trump is not to blame for homelessness and cost crises [3].
Despite his position on the economic causes of the state's struggles, Villaraigosa maintained a critical view of the president's impact on governance. “He’s a threat to our democracy,” Villaraigosa said [2].
The former mayor is urging his party and fellow candidates to pivot their focus toward the efficacy of their own policies rather than using the president as a scapegoat for housing and affordability problems.
By decoupling the state's socioeconomic failures from the actions of the federal executive, Villaraigosa is positioning his campaign to offer specific, policy-driven solutions for the housing shortage, and the surging cost of living in California.
““Democrats and my fellow candidates for governor can’t put everything wrong with the Golden State on President Trump.””
Villaraigosa's stance represents a tactical departure from the common Democratic practice of attributing state-level failures to federal opposition. By acknowledging that the homelessness and cost-of-living crises are independent of President Trump's influence, he is forcing a conversation on the accountability of California's own leadership and the necessity of internal policy reform.
