Podcaster Joe Rogan, a former California resident, condemned the state’s leadership as he spoke to California-based comedian Tim Dillon on Wednesday.

As Rogan noted on his podcast that there are some beautiful estates in Pasadena that recall another era of American life, Dillon agreed, saying that is a perfect way of describing how Los Angeles feels in general, saying, “Whatever it is, it’s not what it was. And every place seems a little bit like a museum or like it was cool 20 years ago or 15 years ago.”

“You know, somebody recently said this and it’s perfect. They said LA is slowly becoming Detroit,” Rogan replied.

He went on to note that while the entertainment industry in LA was once its flagship industry, but they “barely make movies anymore.”

“They overtaxed and overregulated their biggest industry to other states and other countries,” Dillon replied, saying that the number of major films being made there had dropped dramatically. 

“That’s a giant difference,” Rogan said, criticizing the “arrogance” of rhetoric “like ‘This is the best place in the world. Everyone’s going to come here no matter what. That’s the Gavin Newsom attitude whenever he defends California.”

Rogan mocked Newsom’s rhetoric touting California as an economic power, replying, “He starts rattling off all these wonderful statistics and this is like instead of acknowledging, ‘Yeah we’ve got f—ing real problems. People are moving for the first time ever more than they’re coming here. We’re losing all these giant corporations that are leaving.’”

“Instead of that, it’s just this, ‘We’re the s—, I’m very big on California, I’m bullish on California, it’s always gonna be amazing here—” Rogan began.

“Well, it’s what every empire said until they fell, right?” Dillon replied, later asking Rogan if he thinks there’s any chance LA can have a comeback.

“Something has to happen,” Rogan said.

“Something big has to happen. I mean, there has to be something that completely shifts the way LA looks at itself. You know, it has to look at itself as like a functioning business instead of a giant scam for nonprofits. A big part of LA’s problem is there’s a bunch of people that are in the empathy industry.”

Dillon recalled issues he saw in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where a casino owner had told him that a high population density of people and social programs has caused issues for the area, including crime, vandalism, and various other forms of disorder.

Newsom’s office mocked Rogan when reached for comment in a manner parodying President Donald Trump, telling Fox News Digital, “JOE ‘LITTLE GUY’ ROGAN IS TOO CHICKEN TO HAVE ME ON HIS FAILING PODCAST BECAUSE HE KNOW I’D CRUSH HIM, SO HE TAKES CHEAP SHOTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY AS HE GETS RELEGATED TO IRRELEVANCY. ALL TALK, NO ACTION. I’M READY WHEN YOU ARE, ‘LITTLE GUY.’ OR KEEP HIDING!!!!”