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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized mayoral candidate Nithya Raman for calling LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell a "fascist liar" in an Instagram video. During a Thursday news conference, Bass said Raman’s remarks were “incredibly irresponsible” and questioned her readiness to lead the city. The controversy arose after The Post exposed an Instagram video where Raman repeated a phrase coined by a social media influencer, which later included crossed-out images of Bass and McDonnell. Bass emphasized that as mayor, it is crucial to maintain safety and respect law enforcement, declaring such behavior as detrimental to public trust in leadership.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Nithya Raman, a Los Angeles City Council candidate aiming for mayor in the upcoming election, faced significant backlash when she posted an Instagram video calling LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and Mayor Karen Bass "fascist liars." In the video, which was later deleted, Raman's face is seen superimposed over images of both leaders, with a large red X marked on McDonnell’s image. The Los Angeles Police Protective League criticized the imagery as dangerous, arguing that it amplifies threats against police officers.
Raman vowed to fire Chief McDonnell if elected and expressed dissatisfaction with the LAPD's collaboration with federal immigration agents. However, Mayor Karen Bass called Raman "incredibly irresponsible" and said she was "not ready for prime time." She also questioned Raman’s grasp of what fascism means historically and its implications in modern politics.
LAPD Chief McDonnell responded by stating that 52 officers were injured during the violent immigration protests last year, emphasizing the risks police face. This incident highlights tensions between political activists who advocate for substantial changes to law enforcement practices and those who support a more traditional role for city police departments.
Written for “Nithya Raman Attacks LAPD Chief” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning: leans right for article 66593 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-10-08
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.”
asserted
candidate → blast → McDonnell
“It certainly showed that she is not ready for prime time,” Bass told the California Post during a Thursday news conference.
asserted
Bass → show → conference
“I even question if she understands what fascism is or its place in history.”
asserted
fascism → question → 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.”
asserted
that → say → 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.
asserted
Bass → question → what
“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.”
asserted
one → record → 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.
asserted
McDonnell → come → NBC
Raman, who has pledged to replace McDonnell if elected mayor, accused the LAPD of protecting federal immigration agents instead of residents.
asserted
who → pledge → 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.
asserted
Choi → maintain → imagery
Bass delivered her remarks during a news conference announcing “Operation Free Skid Row,” a massive crackdown on drug dealers preying on homeless people.
asserted
Bass → deliver → 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.
asserted
which → give → drugs
Asked by The Post whether Raman’s video set a dangerous precedent for a mayoral candidate, Bass didn’t hold back.
asserted
Bass → ask → candidate
“Well, absolutely, I do,” she responded.
asserted
she → do → ?
“And again, your number one job as mayor is to keep the city safe.”
asserted
job → keep → city
“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.
asserted
Bass → mean → way
“That’s not the responsibility, or the behavior, or the stature, of the mayor of Los Angeles.”
asserted
That → ’ → Angeles
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