UPDATE: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has sharply rebuked billionaire developer Rick Caruso following his scathing criticism of her leadership in response to the devastating Palisades Fire. In a heated exchange during a Bloomberg Screentime event on Wednesday evening, Bass condemned Caruso’s accusations that her administration exemplified a “failure of government on an epic level.”
Caruso’s comments came earlier that day as he reacted to news of a Florida man being arrested for allegedly igniting the fire on January 1, 2023, which later escalated into a catastrophic wildfire due to strong winds. He stated, “What makes today even harder is that everything we feared about this disaster being preventable turned out to be 100 percent true.” Caruso further claimed, “Her and the city’s incompetence, mismanagement, and failure to plan, prepare, and predeploy directly led to people dying and thousands of lives being upended.”
In her response, Bass characterized Caruso’s remarks as reminiscent of former President Donald Trump, expressing her disappointment and sadness over his choice to exploit a tragedy. “I think he is sad and bitter,” she stated. “It’s exploiting tragedy, it’s exploiting grief. This is when the city needs to stand together.” Bass also noted the irony of their recent collaboration on the mansion tax, a property transfer tax impacting properties over $5 million, which was discussed just weeks prior.
This clash is not new; Bass and Caruso faced off in a contentious mayoral race in 2022, where Caruso invested a staggering $104 million in his campaign but ultimately lost to Bass. As she prepares for her reelection campaign next year, Bass reaffirmed her commitment to her final term during the Bloomberg event. Meanwhile, Caruso has hinted at potential future runs for either mayor of Los Angeles or governor of California.
As tensions escalate between these two influential figures in Los Angeles, the community is left to grapple with the aftermath of the Palisades Fire and the implications of their ongoing rivalry. What happens next in this unfolding political saga remains to be seen.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.