Former Obama staffer and liberal podcaster slams LA mayor for being overseas during wildfires
Former Barack Obama spokesman and co-host of the “Pod Save America” podcast, Tommy Vietor, has spoken out Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass because she was abroad while the wildfires decimated her town.
On Wednesday, Vietor responded to a social media post criticizing Bass, saying he didn’t see enough justification or reason why Democratic mayor she had not returned from her trip to Ghana at the time he posted.
“An inexplicable decision not to come back earlier,” Vietor commented on a recent post by Vanity Fair reporter Nick Bilton.
CALIFORNIA FIRES RAGE THROUGH LOS ANGELES COUNTY, FORCING THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES
Bass was heavily criticized after it was reported that she was out of the country in Africa when the fires started on Tuesday. Bass returned to her hometown on Wednesday.
While Bass was on an overseas trip, great fires ravaged the main parts Los Angeles County. Five people died, homes and buildings were destroyed, and at least 130,000 people were ordered to evacuate because of the inferno.
Prominent figures argued that Bass’s incompetence contributed to the ongoing destruction.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was visiting Ghana when the fire broke out, drawing criticism from prominent media figures. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
In his post, Bilton blasted the mayor, saying: “Karen Bass cut fire department funding by over $17 million. She was in Ghana when the fires started, even though she knew about them (as we all did) days before . This should have been treated as a CAT 5 hurricane before it started, but instead it was treated by our current mayor as not important enough to even be here.”
Los Angeles Times owner dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong snapped the mayor over LAFD budget cuts, posting on X: “Our hearts go out to those who have lost their homes and are seeking shelter. The fires in LA are unfortunately no surprise, but the mayor has cut the budget of the LA Fire Department by $23 million. empty fire hydrants raise serious questions about competence…”
Soon-Shiong’s $23 million figure was incorrect because the city cut about $17 million from the department last year. However, Bass’ original budget proposal sought to cut $23 million.
A vehicle burned in the Eaton fire on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 in Altadena, California. (Ethan Swope/AP)
Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso said, “We’ve got a mayor who’s out of the country, we’ve got a city that’s burning, and there’s no firefighting equipment. It feels like we’re in a third-world country here.”
Hollywood celebrities also rebelled against it city leadership. Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar wrote on Instagram: “City of LA you want everyone to evacuate but you have a complete gridlock and no traffic police on the roads helping.”
Influencer and model Amber Rose asked on Instagram, “How TF is there Low water pressure in Los Angeles???? WTF Fire hydrants barely work here??? This is insane!”
President-elect Donald Trump also criticized the LA mayor, as well as Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif. a recent Truth Social post.
“The fire has been spreading rapidly for 3 days — ZERO CONTAINMENT. No one has ever seen such failed numbers before! The gross incompetence of Gavin Newscum and Karen Bass…. And Biden’s FEMA has no money — it’s all spent on a new green scam! LA is total deletion!!!”
