Updated Jul 17, 2026
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Vance compares Los Angeles neighborhood conditions to surroundings of U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince

WASHINGTON, July 17. Vice President JD Vance told podcaster Joe Rogan on Wednesday that driving through a Los Angeles neighborhood en route to a Christmas party recalled his time visiting the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The parallel he drew was a dividing line between concentrated wealth and security on one side and squalor on the other.

By Freya Lindqvist2 min read
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WASHINGTON, July 17. Vice President JD Vance told podcaster Joe Rogan on Wednesday that driving through a Los Angeles neighborhood en route to a Christmas party recalled his time visiting the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The parallel he drew was a dividing line between concentrated wealth and security on one side and squalor on the other.

Vance on the Los Angeles-Haiti comparison

Vance said the recollection struck him during the drive. "I realized when I was there, you know what this reminds me of? This reminds me of going to the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti," he told Rogan. "Like super security, crazy wealth and privilege and status on the inside, and squalor and misery on the outside." It was, he said, the first time he had thought that part of America resembled a third-world country.

Vance said his wife, Usha, is from southern California, and the two have spent a great deal of time in the state. He described feeling "heartbreak" over Los Angeles's condition. The city's architecture and character, he told Rogan, still reflect what made it a quintessentially American city. A drive through Skid Row, he said, raises the question of how any state or city could allow that to happen.

Rogan on leaving California and the U-Haul benchmark

Rogan, who left California, said he knows people who still want to leave but are having trouble selling their houses. He described years of enjoying the state's weather and activities before concluding that politics changed the equation. He also said the Skid Row area has continued to grow, claiming it expanded by five blocks.

On Gov. Gavin Newsom's frequent reference to California's standing as the fifth-largest economy in the world, Rogan said Newsom was "gaslighting everybody" about the state's performance. Vance replied that the economy held that position before Newsom became governor.

Vance offered a benchmark for judging a state's health: compare the cost of renting a U-Haul truck heading in versus heading out. Fox News Digital contacted Newsom's office for comment and did not receive an immediate response.

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Key takeaways

Frequently asked

What comparison did JD Vance make about a Los Angeles neighborhood?

He said driving through the neighborhood reminded him of visiting the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, citing super security and wealth on the inside and squalor and misery on the outside.

Why does Vance have personal ties to California?

His wife, Usha, is from southern California, and the two have spent a great deal of time in the state.

What did Rogan say about California's economy and Skid Row?

Rogan said Newsom was 'gaslighting everybody' about the state's fifth-largest-economy standing and claimed Skid Row had grown by five blocks.

What benchmark did Vance offer for judging a state's health?

He suggested comparing the cost of renting a U-Haul truck heading into a state versus heading out of it.

Did Newsom's office respond to the comments?

Fox News Digital contacted Newsom's office for comment and did not receive an immediate response.