CNN’s Fareed Zakaria blasts California’s ‘failing’ Dem leaders on affordability: ‘People are leaving’

CNN host Fareed Zakaria blasted California’s “failing” Democratic leadership, taking aim at the state’s education, homelessness, housing and overall cost-of-living problems.

During the Sunday episode of “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” the news anchor argued that strong runs by Republicans in California – including Steve Hilton’s advancement in the gubernatorial race and Spencer Pratt’s third-place showing in the Los Angeles mayoral race – should serve as warnings to top Dems.

“California Democrats will be tempted to dismiss all of this as a sideshow, but the frustration is real and justified,” Zakaria said.

He called the Golden State “one of the most dynamic places on the planet,” home to Silicon Valley, Hollywood and top universities, as well as agriculture, ports and natural beauty.

“But it is a case study in how a rich society can spend more and more while producing less and less of what its ordinary citizens need. The paradox of California today is a successful economy attached to a failing model of governance,” he continued. 

California’s population has grown about 15% since 2000 – but its spending has increased by more than 200% to $248 billion, Zakaria said. That means the state is spending roughly $6,300 per person, up from $2,300.

“Does anyone think that California government and its benefits have gotten 200% better in the last 25 years?” Zakaria pointedly asked.

He said housing is the state’s “central failure,” as extensive red tape has made it too difficult and expensive to build in the area – raising home prices and rents — while homelessness is on the rise and young people are fleeing the state.

Zakaria said California has lost a net 1.9 million people over the last seven years in domestic outmigration – arguing it is proof of leadership’s inability to fix affordability issues.

“For generations, people moved to California to pursue the future,” he said. “Now many middle-class people are leaving because they can’t afford one.”

The CNN mainstay also slammed the state’s inability to tackle longtime education and homelessness problems.

Though state spending on education has grown, California’s “results remain dismal” in national rankings, Zakaria said.

In 2024, the state similarly saw a record high in homelessness despite spending billions on the issue, he added.

“Homelessness did decline by about 3% from 2024 to 2025, but the state’s expansive, expensive and elaborate homelessness aid complex has not proven to solve homelessness in any significant way,” the host said.

Zakaria acknowledged that California still touts a dominant economy when it comes to GDP – but argued that it is simply the effect of certain sectors like Silicon Valley, which “mask” the weaknesses hidden underneath.

Earlier this year, Zakaria took aim at “blue cities” like New York and Los Angeles for their “out of control” spending, pointing at New York City’s democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan to hike property taxes.