During his Friday podcast, comedian Adam Carolla skewered California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom for not having a clear answer about why poverty strikes African-Americans and Hispanics in such high numbers.

Newsom was a guest on Carolla’s show to promote his book “Citizenville,” which he co-authored with Lisa Dickey. But the Democratic politician invited an attack when he said both African-American and Hispanics struggle with being prepared for financial hardship.

“Think about it — half of African-Americans in the state of California, roughly half of Latino families have no access to a checking account or an ATM — things we take for granted,” Newsom said.

NEWSOM: They don’t have the resources to sock those things away.

CAROLLA: Why do we have them?

NEWSOM: A lot of different reasons. But roughly half those families don’t.

CAROLLA: Why don’t Armenians have them?

NEWSOM: But where they end up is in check-cashing places.

CAROLLA: I want to know why those two groups don’t have access.

NEWSOM: Just happens to be them.

CAROLLA: So they’re flawed?

NEWSOM: No they’re hardly flawed. But they’re struggling.

CAROLLA: Genetically flawed?

NEWSOM: Hardly, absolutely not.

CAROLLA: Do Asians have this problem?

NEWSOM: I mean a lot of communities have this problem. Whites have this problem.

CAROLLA: Then why did you bring up black and Hispanic?

Newsom continued to dodge the question, suggesting history wasn’t on certain minorities’ side. But Carolla noted that two other groups — Asians, some of whom were placed in internment camps, and Jews, who faced persecution in the Holocaust, also had historically rough periods of adjustment to life in the United States. But they don’t face the same hardships as the black and Latino communities, Carolla said.

The host surmised that the difference was the lack of a strong traditional family structure among blacks and Hispanics — specifically the lack of fathers in stable households.

Newsom seemed to agree but wouldn’t commit.

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