LA Mayor Karen Bass has blasted Nithya Raman as “incredibly irresponsible” and claimed she was “not ready for prime time” after the candidate called LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell a “fascist liar.”
“It certainly showed that she is not ready for prime time,” Bass told the California Post during a Thursday news conference. “I even question if she understands what fascism is or its place in history.”
“It was just beyond irresponsible thing to say to target myself or the chief and what that means for the rest of the department.”
The mayor also questioned Raman’s ability to lead Los Angeles, blasting her explanation that she was simply repeating a phrase fed to her by a social media creator.
“It is very clear she has no clue as to what it will take to make our city safe,” Bass charged. “And so, to record juvenile videos like that and to say, ‘Well, somebody just told me what to say, and I just repeated what they had to say,’ is, like I said a moment ago, evidence that one is not ready to lead the city.”
Bass’ blistering remarks came after The Post exposed an explosive Instagram video featuring Raman and left-wing influencer Ed Choi repeating the phrase “Only you can stop fascist liars,” while images of Bass appeared on screen and McDonnell’s face was later crossed out with a large red X.
The mayor’s comments also came one day after McDonnell broke his silence to NBC, calling the video “disappointing” and revealing that 52 LAPD officers were injured during last year’s violent immigration protests.
“The assaults on officers were like I’ve never seen before, with commercial-grade fireworks being shot directly at them,” McDonnell told NBC.
Raman, who has pledged to replace McDonnell if elected mayor, accused the LAPD of protecting federal immigration agents instead of residents.
Her campaign maintained that the “fascist liars” remark referred to ICE and the Trump administration, not Bass or McDonnell, and that Choi added the controversial imagery afterward.
Bass delivered her remarks during a news conference announcing “Operation Free Skid Row,” a massive crackdown on drug dealers preying on homeless people. The California Post was given an exclusive look at the multiagency operation, which resulted in arrests and the seizure of drugs, guns and luxury cars.
Asked by The Post whether Raman’s video set a dangerous precedent for a mayoral candidate, Bass didn’t hold back. “Well, absolutely, I do,” she responded. “And again, your number one job as mayor is to keep the city safe.”
“That video, and even if it was meant in jest, is irresponsible to even tease or make fun in that kind of way,” Bass declared. “That’s not the responsibility, or the behavior, or the stature, of the mayor of Los Angeles.”
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The post Mayor Karen Bass slams ‘irresponsible’ Nithya Raman for calling cops ‘fascist’ : ‘She has no clue’ appeared first on New York Post.
