California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned Turkish-American Dr. Mehmet Oz on January 29 after Tigranakert Lavash, an Armenian-owned bakery in Los Angeles, reported a 30% drop in business following Oz’s video tying Armenian-language businesses to healthcare fraud. Speaking at a Bloomberg “Newsmaker” event, Newsom accused Oz of attacking the Armenian American community and wrongly linking a small bakery to “the mob around hospice,” while Newsom’s press office later echoed the criticism and Newsom amplified it in a post on X, reports Zartonk Media.
Speaking at a Bloomberg “Newsmaker” event, Newsom said: “To your question, with Dr. Oz. Might have, well, you’re living in Oz, when he went down attacking the Armenian community just a few days ago. A business that’s down now 30%. Poor guy, small businessman, running a bakery because he decided to do a little TikTok video or something. Saying they’re somehow connected to the mob around hospice. Well, hospice, we’ve been after that for years and years before Oz was even on the scene. 2021 we did a moratorium on new hospice program, 280 we shuttered. We’ve been after this for years and years and years.”
The bakery referenced by Newsom was among the businesses shown in a recent video posted by Oz, the Administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In the footage, Oz filmed himself in Armenian-populated neighborhoods of Los Angeles, pointing to Armenian-language signage and suggesting links to organized healthcare fraud, including claims involving a so-called “Russian-Armenian mafia.” The video did not present evidence tying the specific businesses shown to illegal activity.
Newsom emphasized that California’s response to hospice fraud has been aggressive and ongoing for years. In 2021, the state imposed a moratorium on new hospice licenses and has since shuttered hundreds of programs as part of a broader enforcement effort, actions Newsom said were already underway well before Oz entered the discussion.
The Governor’s remarks came as his press office issued a statement condemning Oz’s conduct, saying it was reviewing reports that Oz “targeted the Armenian American community in Southern California,” making “racially charged claims of fraud outside Armenian-owned businesses, including a popular bakery.” The statement added that “any and all acts of hate have no place in California.”
Later on January 29, Newsom amplified his criticism in a post on X, writing: “DISGUSTING: A local Armenian American bakery tells ABC7 its business dropped 30% after Dr. Mehmet Oz falsely tied it to the Armenian mob. Real people get hurt when powerful people spread garbage!”
The image shared by Newsom included a photo of Oz alongside a photo of Tigranakert Lavash, with the text: “Innocent Armenian Bakery Reports 30% Drop in Business After Dr. Oz Target.”
Oz’s remarks drew swift condemnation from Armenian advocacy organizations, journalists, and elected officials, who accused him of ethnic profiling and stigmatization. Critics argued that Oz conflated legitimate state investigations into hospice fraud with Armenian identity, language, and culture, placing small businesses at risk.
The Governor’s comments add to mounting political and public pressure on Oz, whose video has been criticized not only for factual inaccuracies but also for its real-world consequences on innocent business owners. For Armenian American leaders, Newsom’s intervention underscored concerns that rhetoric from powerful figures can quickly translate into economic harm and community fear.
