California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra is drawing backlash after grading Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling of homelessness as an “A” during a televised debate featuring six leading candidates.
California’s already unsettled governor’s race spilled onto the debate stage this week, where six candidates clashed over the state’s most persistent problems, from the cost of living to the growing homelessness crisis.
When Xavier Becerra was asked to grade Gavin Newsom’s performance, he didn’t hesitate. Instead of focusing on outcomes, he pointed to intent.
“On effort, I would give him an A,” Becerra said, citing the governor’s visible attempts to address the issue.
The answer landed in a debate where other candidates had been more measured or openly critical, some offering lower grades while pointing to conditions that remain unchanged across much of the state. In a race where candidates are trying to separate themselves, the remark stood out.
Backlash Focuses on Results Over Effort
Online reaction moved just as quickly as the exchange itself. “You misspelled F,” one commenter wrote, cutting directly at the grade. Another person added, “Typical Democrat DEI Grading System: ‘A for effort’ even though it resulted in abject failure.”
Others shifted from tone to outcome. One user said Newsom “spent an almost impossible amount of money and ended up making the problem worse,” while another wrote, “He doesn’t live in our reality in CA!”
Some responses leaned into sarcasm, turning Becerra’s framing back on him. “‘On effort I’d give him an A’… like it’s 1st grade math class where results don’t matter,” one commenter wrote. Another followed with, “So on that answer Becerra gets an F 😂.”
“I guess an A grade for making it much more common,” another person added, while one more summed it up: “That’s an interesting way of saying he made the problem worse.”
The exchange has added to the ongoing debate over California’s approach to homelessness policy.
