Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ comments around the anti-ICE riots that plagued her city have been all over the place, and this latest one that the “riots never occurred” might just take the cake.
During a press conference on Thursday, Bass made the bizarre comment when she was asked about the targeted attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and law enforcement in Texas, and what steps she would propose if similar unrest spread to LA.
First, can we just address the mayor’s facial expression as the reporter is asking her about the “escalation of violence” against ICE agents? Was she puzzled when she looked at others in the room and back at the reporter because she didn’t understand the question? Or was it because this is news to her?
🚨LOS ANGELES MAYOR KAREN BASS DENIES RIOTS EVER OCCURRED!
“The ‘riots’ that were reported NEVER HAPPENED!”
It’s all on video. We all saw them. pic.twitter.com/MYWtWzogrb
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 10, 2025
Secondly, let’s dive into her response.
“Well, let me just say that quote-unquote riots that were reported never happened,” Bass said, without a hint of irony.
Our sister site Townhall.com noted in the post with the clip that “LOS ANGELES MAYOR KAREN BASS DENIES RIOTS EVER OCCURRED! “The ‘riots’ that were reported NEVER HAPPENED!” It’s all on video. We all saw them.”
Apparently, images like the ones you can see below, to leftists like Bass, do not equal riots.
Gavin Newsom says he didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. Both of these photos were taken before the president authorized the national guard to go protect our border patrol in California. Does this look like “no problem”?
Newsom and his stooge Karen Bass fomented… https://t.co/hLyB8LVqvl pic.twitter.com/oyItCsxrqF
— JD Vance (@JDVance) June 10, 2025
COMPLETE ANARCHY IN LA – NO COPS PRESENT – NO NATIONAL GUARD
I AM ON THE GROUND FOLLOW NOW FOR UPDATES | LA RIOTS pic.twitter.com/UDFDOgzwIx
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) June 9, 2025
Compton, Los Angeles — Leftist and Mexican nationalist rioters are starting more fires to try to thin police resources so they can carry out targeted attacks. pic.twitter.com/oMgcO7Me9m
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) June 8, 2025
ARRESTED: Alejandro Theodoro Orellana was arrested this morning by @FBILosAngeles on an allegation of Conspiracy to Commit Civil Disorders (18 USC 371) for distributing face shields to suspected rioters on Tuesday. We are moving quickly to identify and arrest those involved in… pic.twitter.com/Ase8kxupfp
— U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) June 12, 2025
A few simple truths:
–Looting an Adidas store isn’t justice.
–Burning cities isn’t speech.
–@GavinNewsom isn’t a good governor.And what’s happening in Los Angeles aren’t ‘peaceful rallies’ — they’re third-world insurrection riots on American soil. pic.twitter.com/hc6Ym4gXdO
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 11, 2025
READ MORE: FBI Makes Major Decision About Those Funding Anti-ICE Riots
MORE: Hot Takes: Trump Officials, Others Torch LA Mayor Bass’ Statement She Won’t ‘Stand’ for ICE Actions
Bass has made several conflicting comments about the riots, from ones claiming they had everything under control as images surfaced on TV and X of protests that turned violent, with the rioters blocking the freeway, throwing chunks of concrete at the law enforcement officers, and burning Waymo cars.
Democrats like Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, then declared they didn’t need President Donald Trump to call in the federalized National Guard and U.S. Marines.
However, LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell blew up the Democratic narrative about the “peaceful protests” and said things were out of control.
READ MORE: Watch: LAPD Chief Blows Up the Dem Narrative About Riots, Lays Down Warning to Rioters
Bass also tried to say at first she wouldn’t stand for the ICE raids, only to then have a bit of a change of heart on the violence hitting her city, RedState reported.
This is a difficult time for our city. As we recover from an unprecedented natural disaster, many in our community are feeling fear following recent federal immigration enforcement actions across Los Angeles County.
Reports of unrest outside the city, including in Paramount,…
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) June 8, 2025
READ MORE: Listen to LA Mayor Karen Bass’ Unhinged Comments About Her City’s Riots
The mayor then appeared to stoke the fire, encouraging the rioters to continue, as my RedState colleague Jennifer Van Laar wrote:
As violence and chaos dominate the streets of downtown Los Angeles for the third evening, Mayor Karen Bass held a press conference and made clear that she had no plan for a return to normalcy, claiming that President Trump “provoked” the chaos and urging people to “continue expressing your right, your anger, your outrage” in the city.
As RedState also wrote in the days that followed, Bass tried to put the blame the chaos and violence on the president. However,Trump was proven right by stepping in when the chaos was tamped down.
The left’s soft-on-crime policies have wreaked havoc on America.
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