Reporter Speaks With Bass About Fire
Los Angeles is no stranger to disaster, but even in a city used to chaos, this week’s events left many residents speechless.
As wildfires tore through 30,000 acres, Mayor Karen Bass returned from a trip to Ghana with a conspicuous silence that has ignited fury across the political spectrum. The optics? Dreadful. The reality? Even worse.
Let’s start with the facts. On Tuesday, as Santa Ana winds whipped flames into a frenzy, Bass was 7,400 miles away in Africa attending the inauguration of Ghana’s president. While attending international events may have its place, leaving your city in the throes of a historic wildfire—especially one you helped underfund—is the kind of political misstep that sticks.
Sky News reporter David Blevins captured the moment Bass stepped back onto U.S. soil, stone-faced and silent as questions were hurled her way. Did she regret cutting millions from the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget? Did she owe citizens an apology for her absence? Bass offered no answers. Her silence, compounded by her choice to sidestep the questions altogether, has only fueled public outrage.
This is how they murder you pic.twitter.com/Fr4fyoYs0S
— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) January 8, 2025
And rightly so. The fires have destroyed thousands of buildings and are already being called the most destructive in Los Angeles history. The Fire Department, already stretched thin, is struggling to keep pace—partly because it’s operating with $17.6 million fewer dollars than it had in previous years.
That budget slash falls squarely at Bass’s feet, and critics aren’t letting her forget it. She wanted $20 million cut; she settled for $17.6 million. Either way, the impact is devastating.
To many, her absence during the crisis sends a clear message about priorities. Ashley Hayek, president of America First Works, called out the absurdity of the situation on X: “Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is on a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa… WHILE HER CITY IS BURNING TO THE GROUND. This is INSANE.”
The frustration isn’t just partisan. Residents watching their homes and livelihoods go up in smoke are asking why their mayor wasn’t there, not just to lead but to reassure. Leadership means being present when your city is in crisis—not phoning it in from halfway across the world.