Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advocated for dental care for drug users in the city, saying that new teeth would set them up for success.
Bass spoke in Los Angeles on Monday at the Original Pantry Cafe at a forum with fellow mayoral candidates to discuss funding for the city's homelessness crisis.
As part of the two-day discussions, Bass went to bat over her plans to fight the growing epidemic using taxpayer dollars, reported LAist.
During a controversial tirade, the mayor proclaimed that dental care, specifically new teeth, was vital in getting the homeless population off the streets.
'How many people that you meet that are unhoused don't have teeth at all,' Bass said. 'They don't have teeth. Why? Because meth rots your teeth.'
'You can't succeed without teeth. So there needs to be comprehensive healthcare provided to people.'
Bass has yet to announce any formal initiatives aimed at healthcare for the homeless.
According to the city website, her $300 million 'Inside Safe' initiative has taken more than 5,000 people off the streets and into motels.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed her approach to homelessness at a forum on Monday
Bass argued that homeless people in LA are unable to find employment because many of them don't have teeth
Bass's comments sparked major backlash online.
Writer Chris Gore reposted the clip on X to advocate against Bass's reelection.
'It’s not the government‘s job to be responsible for people‘s terrible decisions,' he wrote. 'Perhaps stop giving out free needles and drugs?'
National Correspondent for the Daily Signal, Tony Kinnett, echoed that 'tax dollars shouldn't be paying for your bad decision.'
'Americans shouldn't have to pay for you to have an abortion because you had sex, teeth to make up for your drug habit, or your sex change in prison,' he wrote.
Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard's Chief of Staff, Alexa Henning, criticized Bass for misplacing her priorities.
'LA residents: please help us rebuild our homes lost in the fires,' Henning wrote. 'Bass: best I can do is free dental care for meth heads.'
Bass was criticized online for focusing on dental care for the homeless rather than other issues that plagued the city
Bass was joined by fellow Mayoral candidates Councilwoman Nithya Raman and entrepreneur Adam Miller.
The pair criticized her initiatives to fight homelessness while touting their own plans, reported CBS.
The 'Hotcakes and Housing' event was hosted by Hope the Mission.
The non-profit invited those who work with or are impacted by homelessness to ask each candidate questions about their approach to the issue, in hopes of keeping homelessness at the center of the election.
Mayoral challenger Spencer Pratt, who declined an invitation to the forum, has been critical of Bass's approach to Los Angeles's homelessness crisis.
According to the LA Times, while Bass focuses on healthcare and helping people off the streets, Pratt has vowed to address the root of the issue.
'The reality is no matter how many beds you give these people, they are on super meth, they are on fentanyl,' the former reality star said last week.
More than 67,000 people in Los Angeles are impacted by homelessness
As candidates battle it out, the mayoral election is fast approaching. Primaries will be held on June 2, with the election on November 3.
According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, homelessness remains one of the defining issues for the city of Los Angeles.
At the end of 2025, more than 67,000 people in Los Angeles were experiencing homelessness.
The Daily Mail contacted Mayor Bass for additional comment.