Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Confronted Over Wildfire Response on Live TV

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was confronted Wednesday on live TV over her response to the wildfires tearing through the Greater Los Angeles area.

Why It Matters

The Democratic mayor has faced mounting criticism, including from members of her own party, for traveling abroad while L.A. residents were forced to flee by the tens of thousands as the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires ripped through Southern California. Two smaller blazes—the Woodley Fire and Lidia Fire—are collectively engulfing around 80 acres in the Greater Los Angeles area as of Wednesday evening.

What To Know

Bass stayed mum on Wednesday as Sky News reporter David Blevins pelted her with questions after she arrived back in California.

"Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning?" Blevins asked Bass during the confrontation. "Do you regret cutting the fire department's budget by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor? Have you nothing to say today?"

"Have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today?" he pressed. "Elon Musk says that you are utterly incompetent. Are you considering your position? Madam Mayor, do you have absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today who are dealing with this disaster? No apology for them? Do you think you should have been visiting Ghana while this was unfolding back home?"

Newsweek reached out to a Bass spokesperson for comment via email on Wednesday.

Watch the interaction on X (formerly Twitter):

The mayor's office posted on X late Monday about the impending "destructive and potentially life-threatening windstorm starting Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon."

But Bass didn't return to Los Angeles until later Wednesday, drawing sharp criticism from politicians across the aisle and fellow Democrats, as Politico first reported.

What People Are Saying

Pod Save America host Tommy Vietor criticized Bass, writing on X: "Inexplicable decision to not come back earlier."

Patrick Soon-Shiong, billionaire owner of The Los Angeles Times, wrote on X: "Fires in LA are sadly no surprise, yet the Mayor cut LA Fire Department's budget by $23M. And reports of empty fire hydrants raise serious questions. Competence matters."

President-elect Donald Trump criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom, writing on Truth Social: "As of this moment, Gavin Newscum and his Los Angeles crew have contained exactly ZERO percent of the fire. It is burning at levels that even surpass last night. This is not Government. I can't wait till January 20th!"

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.