Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been exposed for selectively editing press conference livestreams on her Facebook page, cutting out tough questions from reporters about her handling of January’s devastating wildfires that torched 57,000 acres and claimed 29 lives. The scrubbed clips, still visible on the County of Los Angeles’ account, reveal a Mayor dodging accountability amid plunging approval ratings.
At a glance:
- Bass removed Q&A sessions from Jan. 8, 9, and 10 livestreams on her Facebook page.
- Reporters grilled her on dry hydrants, Africa trip, and calls to resign—absent from her edits.
- Full exchanges show Bass deflecting, focusing on “recovery” over answers.
- Approval sank to 37%, with 43% of voters eyeing a Republican switch.
Censorship Sparks Outrage
Reports this week reveal how Bass’s page trimmed press conferences to showcase officials’ statements, axing exchanges where reporters pressed her on the city’s wildfire response failures.
On January 9, a County of Los Angeles video captured a reporter asking about demands for her resignation; Bass snapped, “These fires are burning now… Our job is to save lives… When the fires are out, we will do a deep dive,” refusing further comment. Her version skips it entirely. January 8’s county clip shows queries on waterless hydrants and her Ghana trip during the crisis—gone from her feed. January 10’s Q&A, probing trust and alert system flops, also vanished from her account, though a Friday clip on firing Fire Chief Kristen Crowley made the cut.
The Mayor’s Africa jaunt for Ghana’s Presidential Inauguration—breaking a campaign pledge to The New York Times—drew heat as fires raged. She stonewalled Sky News’ David Blevins on apologizing, later telling Fox 11’s Elex Michaelson an investigation covers it all.
OpenTheBooks found LA’s budget couldn’t fund hydrants, despite fat LADWP salaries, while Crowley’s DEI obsession left the LAFD scrambling. A CBS reporter’s January 8 question—“What are you doing to earn back people’s trust?”—got a vague “recovery mode” dodge from Bass, preserved only on the county’s stream.
Approval Tanks as Newsom Begs for Billions
A Madison McQueen poll from January 27 pegs Bass’s wildfire approval at 37%, with 54% disapproving and 43% open to a Republican. The fires’ chaos—dry hydrants, false evacuation alarms—fueled panic, yet Bass’s edits shield her from scrutiny. Governor Gavin Newsom’s plea for $40 billion in federal aid follows his earlier bid under Biden to curb “misinformation” on the state’s response.
Bass’s office didn’t reply to inquiries, but her curated clips signal a desperate bid to control the narrative as LA reels.
