Karen Bass once promised she wouldn’t go abroad as the mayor of Los Angeles — now, as her city battles the worst wildfire in its history, she has five international trips under her belt during her term in office.
The New York Times reports that Bass has taken five international, city-funded trips since taking office — despite committing to stopping international travel in a 2021 interview as she ran for office.
“Not only would I of course live here, but I also would not travel internationally — the only places I would go would be D.C., Sacramento, San Francisco and New York, in relation to L.A.,” Bass told the Times in October 2021.
Her travel abroad since becoming mayor includes her recent trip to Ghana, where she was when the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires broke out on Tuesday. She was there for the inauguration of the country’s new president after President Joe Biden selected her as one of his four-member presidential delegation to attend the event.
Last week, a Sky News reporter grilled Bass on her trip, but the mayor iced him out.
“Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning?" David Blevins asked on an airport jetway.
Bass remained silent as Blevins continued: “Do you regret cutting the fire department budget by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor?”
“Have you nothing to say today? Have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today?” Blevins continued. "Elon Musk says that you’re utterly incompetent — are you considering your position?"
Bass continued her silence before walking away as Blevins continued to question her.
The mayor received heavy criticism over the timing of her trip from those on both sides of the political aisle — including Elon Musk, who called her “utterly incompetent.” Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley even told Fox 11 Los Angeles that the city had failed them after recent cuts to the department’s budget.
Khloe Kardashian also chimed in, sharing the video of Crowley’s comments.
“I stand by YOU Chief Crowley!!!! You spoke the truth and you had tears in your eyes because I can tell you didn’t even want to say that but it was THE TRUTH,” she wrote on Instagram on Friday. “Thank you for being honest. Mayor Bass, you are a joke!!!!”
In addition to the recent Ghana trip, the Times reports Bass has traveled to Paris three times for the 2024 Olympic games and once to Mexico for President Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration.
Several wildfires have been scorching southern California since last week, prompting hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate. The blazes have killed at least 25 people and burned through more than 40,000 acres. The Palisades and Eaton fires are now among the most destructive in Los Angeles history.
The Independent has contacted the mayor’s office for comment.
