Nithya Raman ducks questions on LAPD ‘fascist liars’ remarks amid fallout

Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman dodged questions from the California Post Thursday night about her explosive “fascist liars” remarks and plans to replace the LAPD’s top cop.

The councilwoman appeared at a campaign fundraiser at the Black Cat in Silver Lake, the same swanky watering hole where she was photographed raising drinks and toasting with members of her team on the day immigration raids erupted across Los Angeles in June 2025.

The fundraiser capped a turbulent week for Raman, who faced fierce backlash over a since-deleted social media video featuring the mayoral candidate repeating the words, “Only you can stop fascist liars,” alongside images of Mayor Karen Bass and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.

The video also showed a large red X over the police chief’s face, sparking outrage from the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which warned that the imagery could endanger McDonnell and officers assigned to protect him.

When The Post approached Raman Thursday night outside the fundraiser, she declined to answer any questions, saying she was attending a private event.

It was a repeat performance from earlier in the week at City Hall, where Raman also brushed off The Post’s questions about the “fascist liars” video and whom she would appoint to replace McDonnell as LAPD chief.

During a press conference Thursday, Bass blasted her rival as “incredibly irresponsible” and questioned whether she was “ready for prime time.”

Raman’s campaign has maintained that her remark referred to federal immigration authorities and the Trump administration, not Bass or McDonnell, and that the video’s controversial imagery was added by the social media creator.

“Nithya was interviewed by several social media creators on Sunday,” Raman spokesperson Liz Garcia said in a statement. “In one interview, the creator asked her to repeat his phrase, ‘only you can stop fascist liars,’ which she said in reference to ICE and the Trump administration’s violent kidnappings that continue in our city today. 

“The video was then edited by the creator to put Mayor Bass on screen during that moment, but Nithya never used that phrase to describe Mayor Bass, Chief McDonnell, or LAPD officers, which is why we removed ourselves from the post and asked the creator to take it down immediately,” the statement continued.
 
“Nithya has also been clear that she disagrees with how LAPD treated Angelenos protesting the ICE raids, including the use of tear gas.”

McDonnell fire back at Raman in comments to The Post on Thursday, saying he was there as violent protesters unleashed chaos on the city during last year’s immigration protests.

“I was out there,” McDonnell told The Post in a pointed reference to Raman’s happy hour drinks session as the city burned. “I don’t know that people who are criticizing us were anywhere near there.”

During Thursday night’s fundraiser, Raman criticized City Hall’s leadership and said that Los Angeles desperately needed change.

“From inside City Hall, I’ve watched the city lose its sense of urgency,” Raman told supporters.

“I’ve started to see people inside City Hall and outside City Hall lose hope that things can get better in Los Angeles, and I refuse to accept that about my city.”

Raman’s criticism came just two days after she helped delay a public safety proposal aimed at clearing homeless encampments near schools and other public facilities across Los Angeles, a measure that had already been sitting at City Hall for 508 days.

Introduced in May 2025, the proposal would expand anti-camping restrictions near designated school routes, police and fire stations and other public facilities.

During Tuesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting, LAPD officials testified about numerous public safety problems associated with encampments across the city.

But despite the proposal having been pending for nearly 17 months, Raman joined Councilmen Hugo Soto-Martínez and Curren Price in a 3-2 vote to delay the measure for further review, arguing that more information was needed about its scope, costs and enforcement.

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