An expressionless one Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass refused to answer reporters’ questions after being pressured during her initial absence as wildfires raged in her jurisdiction.
“Do you owe the citizens an apology for being absent while their houses were burning? And do you regret cutting the fire department budget by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor?” asked Sky News reporter David Blevins as Bass waited to depart on Wednesday after her trip to Ghana.
“Do you have absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today?” he added.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES WORDS THROUGH LOS ANGELES COUNTY, FORCING THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass listens as Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks while touring the city’s fire damage Wednesday. (Mayor Karen Bass / X)
Bass refused to acknowledge the reporter and continued to ignore questions as she looked at the ground.
“No apologies to them? Do you think you should have done that?’ Visited Ghana while this was happening at home?” he said.
“Madam Mayor, I would like to ask you again: do you have anything to say to the citizens when you return today?” he said.
The Palisades Fire burned a building in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
On Wednesday, during a late afternoon news conference in Los Angeles, Bass said she was taking the “fastest route back,” adding that she a military aircraft for her quick arrival.
“I took the fastest route back, which also included being on a military plane, which made our communication easier,” she said, acknowledging that she was thousands of miles away when the first wildfires broke out on Tuesday. “So I was able to stay on the phone for the entire flight.”
THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES REDUCED THE FIRE BUDGET LAST YEAR, MADE HOMELESS POPULATION A PRIORITY
“We’re fighting for you and everyone in Los Angeles,” she said, as if reading prepared remarks.
At one point during the press conference, the mayor’s notes seemed to baffle her, and she incorrectly said, “Emergency information, resources and shelter are available. All of this can be found at URL.”
Bass’ leadership has been in the spotlight as many blamed her for the disaster, pointing to the massive cuts she made to crucial fire departments that she diverted to spending on the city’s homeless population.
For the budget year 2023-2024 Los Angeles had budgeted $837 million for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), which was about 65% of the size of the city’s $1.3 billion homeless budget.
From the 2023-2024 through the 2024-2025 budgets, the LAFD budget was reduced.j $17,553,814 from $837,191,237 to $819,637,423.
Vehicles and a house burn as powerful winds fuel devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area, forcing people to evacuate at the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, Wednesday. (Reuters/David Swanson)
Bass’ arrival comes as wildfires continue to rage in Los Angeles County, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate.
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Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna told Fox News that five people died in the Eaton Fire on Wednesday afternoon.
Fox News Digital has contacted Bass’ office for comment.
Breck Dumas of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
