LA Mayor Karen Bass was once a top VP contender for Biden, highly praised by Obama as 'outstanding'.
Before the wildfire crisis in Los Angeles, Bass was viewed as a promising figure in the Democratic Party.
After her response to the wildfires in Los Angeles came under intense public scrutiny, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass's favor among the Democratic Party's top leaders decreased.
Obama predicted Bass would be an outstanding mayor of the city, while Biden once considered her a top contender for his vice presidential running mate in 2020.
During her tenure as a U.S. representative from California, Bass was interviewed by the Biden campaign as a potential running mate. Politico described her as "persuasive but not flashy," "trusted by progressives but still respected by Republicans," and "passionate, yet not someone who would prioritize her own objectives over her responsibilities as Biden's No. 2."
After then-Senator Kamala Harris eventually secured the role, Bass went on to run for mayor of L.A. in 2022 and earned major praise from Obama, who called her that year and predicted she's "gonna be an outstanding mayor of L.A."
The praise of Bass by two of the party's top men is being scrutinized because of her handling of the wildfires that devastated a significant portion of her city.
The mayor has faced criticism for reducing the budget of the Los Angeles Fire Department after fires destroyed thousands of homes, killed at least 11 people, and displaced nearly 200,000 people.
In the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 fiscal years, Bass reduced the fire department budget by nearly $18 million, despite initially proposing to cut it by up to $23 million.
The city's homeless budget of $1.3 billion overshadowed the LAFD budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which was $837 million.
Bass faced intense criticism for traveling to Ghana earlier this week, which left her far from her city during the first day of the devastation on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the mayor returned home quickly and was met with numerous media inquiries about her whereabouts.
Did you apologize to citizens for being absent while their homes were burning, and do you regret cutting the Fire Department budget by millions of dollars, Madame Mayor? Sky News reporter David Blevins questioned Bass upon her return from Africa.
The mayor had difficulty responding to the reporter's initial inquiries. However, she eventually admitted that she took the quickest route back, which involved flying on a military plane, allowing her to remain connected throughout the journey.
Justine Bateman, a filmmaker and former "Family Ties" star, expressed the frustration of many local residents towards Bass and other city officials, saying, "To effectively lead a city or state, it is crucial to prioritize funding for fire and police departments."
"If you can't perform the fundamentals, you should leave our city. You are of no use to us. You are a burden and you have caused harm to others because you failed to fulfill your responsibilities," she stated. "You did not meet the expectations for your job. You did not fulfill the requirements for your employment," she emphasized.
The White House declined to comment on Planet Chronicle Digital's request.
This report was contributed to by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Kira Mautone of Planet Chronicle Digital.
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