Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass sparked outrage after accusing Palisades Fire victim Spencer Pratt of “exploiting the grief” of wildfire victims in his campaign to unseat her.
Bass, who has been losing ground to Pratt in the lead-up to the mayoral election, made the extraordinary claim during an interview with MeidasTouch.
“Well, honestly, before this, I had never heard of Spencer Pratt,” she said of the former reality TV star.
“But the thing I am concerned about is that I feel like he’s exploiting the grief of people in the Palisades. And I think that’s reprehensible. He is about his own celebrity.”
Critics immediately seized on the mayor’s comments, calling her out for attacking a wildfire victim.
“Exploiting grief? HE LOST EVERYTHING ALONG WITH FAMILY,” one commenter wrote on X.
“The fire burned 36,000 acres in Los Angeles County, destroyed or damaged more than 10,000 buildings, displaced tens of thousands of residents and claimed at least 10 lives. But she’s bent out of shape about Pratt drawing attention to it because they ran out of water,” another added.
“My whole f—ing neighborhood burned down. There was a fire hydrant across the street from our house. Exploit away, Spencer. This fool has no business in government,” a third said.
Even Trump administration official Richard Grenell chimed in.
“Career politician is offended that someone new is running. She’s incredibly condescending. She thinks she is owed reelection,” he wrote on X.
Others thought Bass should not concern herself with Pratt when she was overseeing during the disaster.
“Just the opposite, it’s because you handled our fires so miserably that Pratt came forward to right your wrongs,” one X user commented.
“Girl you were in Ghana during the Palisades fire go back to bed,” another added.
“What’s hilarious is that when she insults or gaslights him, she’s basically doing the same to every victim of the Palisades fires,” a third wrote. “And her claim that she had no idea who he was is wild…he was one of the most outspoken victims. It just makes her seem out of touch and indifferent.”
Pratt responded to Bass’ putdowns on Saturday morning, saying he would better serve LA as mayor.
“Karen always likes to talk about HER experience and never YOUR experience in her city…stepping over homeless drug addicts having your, business tagged up every night, no street lights,” he wrote on X.
“If she is so experienced with governance, why is she so bad at governance? What does that say about all of her illustrious experience? I actually care more about YOUR daily experience in LA. I have all the experience that I need. I have experienced the consequences of Karen Bass’ failed leadership. All of us have. She needs to step aside.”
Bass has been widely criticized for her response to January 2025 wildfires, which caused billions in damage and killed several people. Pratt lost his home in the fire and lives in Airstream trailer on the burned-out lot — something he highlighted in a recent viral campaign ad.
“This is where Mayor Bass lives. You notice something?” Pratt says in the 30-second clip, gesturing towards the Getty House, Bass’ bucolic Tudor-style residence in Windsor Square, which is mayor’s official residence.
“They let my home burn down. I know the consequences of failed leadership,” he added, promising to usher in a new “Golden Age” in LA.
In February, Bass brought a group of Palisades survivors to Sacramento for a meeting with legislators, later giving herself credit for bringing “the right people to the table to get results.”
“We’re going to stay united with Palisades until everybody is back home,” she said.
The California Post contacted Bass’ office for comment.