Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced sharp criticism upon her return from Ghana as wildfires ravaged the city, with reporters pressing her on her absence and recent cuts to the Fire Department budget.
Sky News correspondent David Blevins questioned Bass directly as she disembarked from a military plane Wednesday, asking if she owed residents an apology for being away while their homes burned.
Bass remained silent, avoiding eye contact.
During a subsequent news conference, she defended her quick return, stating she stayed in contact throughout the flight and reiterated her administration’s commitment to protecting residents.
However, her delivery faltered as she appeared to read from prepared notes, even mistakenly referring to a placeholder “URL” during her remarks.
Critics have highlighted her controversial decision to slash the fire department’s budget by over $17 million while prioritising $1.3 billion for homelessness initiatives.
The criticism mounts as five deaths have been confirmed in the Eaton Fire alone, while hundreds of thousands remain under evacuation orders as multiple fires rage across Los Angeles County.
This is the most damning video of a politician being questioned during a disaster that I’ve ever seen. This @SkyNews reporter just absolutely shredded the incompetent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. It’s truly a work of art. 👏👏👏pic.twitter.com/goqy5tXlbm
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 8, 2025
Failures like that used to be tared and feathered.
Or, better, would’ve never been put in a position like that.
Same playbook as Maui.