Fire has been a trigger word for Karen Bassthis past year.
And it reared its ugly head again at last night’s debate — with the Los Angeles mayor horrifically blundering her response.
Bass, who isfighting to keep her job, made a verbal slip-up, saying “fire f****” instead of “fire trucks” while responding to questions about the 2025 Palisades Fire.
Online, particularly among critics who argue she mishandled the response and rebuilding efforts, many are seizing on the moment.
“Yes. Mayor Of LA just said fire f**** instead of fire trucks on live TV. And yes, the fact that she left town before it burned down is reason enough for her to never ever serve this city again,” one person said.
Bass was in Ghana when the fire initially broke out, despite her prior pledge not to conduct foreign trips as mayor. She left LA when warnings for high winds were issued and returned to a burning city.
Others poked fun at her for the slip-up during what was a consequential debate for her. “My kid used to pronounce it like that — he was 2,” one user wrote.
Bass isbutting heads with former ally-turned-political opponent, left-leaning DSA-affiliated Councilwoman Nithya Raman, and outsider reality TV star-turned-mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt.
While Bass is leading in the polls,Pratt appears to be pouring moneyand resources into ads that are going viral, while Raman is campaigning hard — all while 40% of voters still remain undecided, a large share for a mayoral race.
More concerning for Bass is her unfavorable rating among voters. A majority — 56% of likely voters — view the mayor negatively, while just 13% say they have no opinion.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
