Karen Bass Takes Heat For Africa Trip Amid L.A. Fires

Los Angeles Democrat Mayor Karen Bass is taking heat for attending a presidential inauguration in Africa while her city’s residents endured massive fires.

While thousands of L.A. locals were fleeing their homes due to the destructive wildfires engulfing the region, Bass was busy attending the Tuesday inauguration of Ghana President John Dramani Mahama. The White House announced on Friday that the California Democrat would attend the event as part of its presidential delegation.

Bass served on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as chair of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations prior to becoming mayor of Los Angeles.

While reportedly expected to return to the U.S. on Wednesday, Bass’s absence amid the disaster plaguing her constituents quickly generated outrage from local Californians.

Rick Caruso, who ran against Bass in Los Angeles’ 2022 mayoral race, blasted his former opponent for her failed “leadership management,” which he argued “residents are paying the ultimate price for.” When asked by Fox 11 why there is reportedly no water in fire hydrants needed to put out the fires, Caruso replied, “Why don’t you call the mayor, who is out of the country, and ask her? Get an answer from her.”

Wes Nichols, a Los Angeles area investor, similarly expressed outrage at California Democrats’ ineptitude.

“I just left the hellscape formerly know as Pacific Palisades where I’ve lived for 26 years. I’m mad at what I saw,” Nichols wrote on X. “Our politicians have failed us. Unprepared, unimaginative, understaffed, now overwhelmed. Heads must roll for this disaster.”

One resident forced to evacuate from her home blasted Bass for being MIA amid the disaster impacting her constituents.

“I know where I am right now, but I don’t know where my mayor was when this was happening,” she said. “I’m born and raised in Los Angeles. I spend my life worrying about when the earthquakes come, when the Santa Ana winds come; I plan my trips around this. For someone to be in charge of my town, where were you?”

The New York Post’s Emily Crane highlighted in a Wednesday report how Los Angeles’ 2024-2025 budget included $17.6 million in cuts for the locality’s fire department. That amount is less than the $23 million in cuts for the department Bass proposed in her original budget plan.

According to The Daily Mail, “Meteorologists gave plenty of warning that a ‘recipe for fire’ was on track to strike LA as far back as last week.” The outlet noted comments from the National Weather Service’s Rick Thompson, who “warned that the region was extremely dry for the time of year because ‘we haven’t had any significant rain for months.’”