Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is once again in the national spotlight and not for reasons her office would welcome. As anti-ICE riots rage across the city, critics say Bass’s leadership is not just lacking, but part of a troubling pattern that spans decades of controversial affiliations, political missteps, and PR disasters.
The unrest follows a series of federal immigration raids that began last Friday. What started as demonstrations soon spiraled into full-blown chaos, prompting a fierce response from the White House and Republicans, including President Donald Trump.
White House Points Fingers Over LA Unrest
According to the Trump administration, the violence that’s overtaken Southern California was no accident, it was inflamed by Democrats who, in their words, “embolden” illegal immigrants and demonize enforcement.
“Newsom and his stooge Karen Bass fomented and encouraged the riots, because their entire political movement exists for one purpose: to promote mass migration into our country,” Vice President JD Vance declared Tuesday on X. “Democratic leadership has no solution for the economy, for prosperity, or for security. They use their power when they’re in the majority to import millions of illegal immigrants and when they’re in opposition they do everything possible to prevent deportations.”
As accusations fly, Bass insists she’s focused on protecting residents and restoring calm. But her past may be speaking louder than her present.
A Troubled Track Record: From Castro to Communism
Bass has long been dogged by comments that critics say romanticize authoritarian regimes. When Communist Cuban leader Fidel Castro died in 2016, she released a statement calling his passing “a great loss to the people of Cuba,” referring to him as “Comandante en Jefe”, commander-in-chief.
The backlash was swift, and by 2020, as Bass was floated as a possible running mate for then-candidate Joe Biden, she tried to walk it back.
But that wasn’t her only misstep involving controversial political figures.
In 2017, Bass honored Oneil Marion Cannon, a longtime member of the Communist Party USA in the congressional record, calling him a “friend and mentor.” She made no mention of his communist leadership, referring to him simply as someone “deeply involved in politics.”
“I would like to salute Oneil Cannon for his longstanding commitment to serving and uplifting others, and for a century of fighting to make the world a better place,” she wrote.
When pressed on the connection, Bass’s office told Politico she didn’t share Cannon’s ideology, comparing the relationship to her friendship with then-Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“Karen Bass has always been a Democrat and only a Democrat. The Congresswoman is friends with Kevin McCarthy and is not a Republican. She knew Oneil Cannon but never shared the political ideology he may have had at one time in his life,” her spokesperson said.
A Scandal in the Mayor’s Office
Bass’s tenure as mayor hasn’t been free of internal drama either. Late last year, her deputy mayor of public safety, Brian Williams, was raided by the FBI for orchestrating a bomb threat targeting LA City Hall.
In May, Williams pleaded guilty to a felony charge of making threats related to explosives. The Justice Department revealed Williams used a Google Voice app to call his city-issued phone and fake a bomb threat, then alerted police and texted the mayor and other officials about it.
“Bomb threat: I received phone call on my city cell at 10:48 am this morning. The male caller stated that ‘he was tired of the city support of Israel, and he has decided to place a bomb in City Hall. It might be in the rotunda,’” he wrote in a message previously reported.
In reality, Williams had made the call himself.
“Like many, we were shocked when these allegations were first made, and we are saddened by this conclusion,” Bass’s office said in response to the guilty plea.
Scientology Ties Raise Eyebrows
During her 2022 mayoral run, Bass found herself in hot water again, this time over a 2010 speech praising the Church of Scientology at the grand opening of its LA headquarters.
“The Church of Scientology I know has made a difference,” Bass said at the time. “Because your creed is a universal creed and one that speaks to all people everywhere.”
Following public backlash and criticism from former members, including actress Leah Remini, Bass distanced herself.
“Back in 2010, I attended the event knowing I was going to address a group of people with beliefs very different than my own,” Bass later posted. “Since then, published first-hand accounts in books, interviews and documentaries have exposed this group.”
Wildfire Crisis — And an International Trip
In January, while wildfires tore through parts of Los Angeles, Bass was attending a presidential swearing-in ceremony in Ghana. She didn’t return to the city until after flames had already forced evacuations.
Sky News reporter David Blevins confronted her on the tarmac: “Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning? And do you regret cutting the Fire Department budget by millions of dollars, Madame Mayor?”
Bass ignored the questions. Making matters worse, photos surfaced showing her at a cocktail party in Ghana while the fires raged.
Aides later claimed she was taking calls from LA in a separate room, but the damage was done.
“Would I say it was a mistake? Absolutely,” Bass admitted in a February interview.
“The idea that I was not present was very painful.”
Fired Fire Chief Speaks Out
That same month, Bass fired LA Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley, a move seen by many as a deflection. Crowley had been vocal about understaffing and resource shortages within the department, warning the city wasn’t prepared for large-scale disasters.
“This is my third budget as we’re going into 2025-2026, and what I can tell you is we are still understaffed, we’re still under-resourced and we’re still underfunded,” Crowley told reporters during the wildfires.
Bass blamed Crowley directly, stating: “We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch.”
Mayor’s Office Defends Record
Despite the cascade of controversies, Bass’s office insists she’s focused on real progress.
“While the Administration continues to create chaos and provoke the people of Los Angeles, Mayor Bass is focused on leading the city through this difficult time to ensure the safety and stability of its residents,” a spokesperson said. “Mayor Bass has made change in Los Angeles and under her leadership, crime is down, she has reduced homelessness for the first time in years and is leading a natural disaster recovery effort that is on pace to be the fastest in state history.”
Still, with violence erupting in the streets and critics circling from both local and national levels, the mayor may find that her political past and her presentare becoming impossible to separate.
