NRT briefing
Karen Bass tears into Nithya Raman over flip-flop comments on LAPD chief Jim McDonnell
Based on reporting by New York Post.
The Brief
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass's campaign accused City Councilmember Nithya Raman of “flip-flopping” on whether she would keep LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell if elected mayor, following contradictory television interviews. On Saturday, Raman said replacing McDonnell was not on her 100-day agenda, but on Sunday she suggested she would appoint a new chief when his term ends in 2030.
Later, Raman told the California Post she would expect to replace McDonnell before his term ends. The controversy follows a since-deleted video featuring McDonnell's face crossed out with the words “Only you can stop fascist liars,” which Raman's campaign said targeted ICE and the Trump administration, not McDonnell.
Raman also denied rumors she would appoint former District Attorney George Gascón as police chief, but multiple sources told the Post his name has circulated as a possible replacement. Law enforcement officials, including former Councilman Dennis Zine and the Los Angeles Police Protective League, warned that appointing Gascón could trigger a mass exodus from the understaffed department. Gascón was ousted as DA in 2024.
NRT commentary
How We See It
Raman's shifting statements underscore a deeper problem: a candidate who appears to bend to political winds rather than articulate a coherent public safety vision. Her denial of the Gascón rumors, while plausible, comes alongside a video that many officers reasonably read as hostile. The bigger issue is the signal it sends to a police force already stretched thin, especially with the 2028 Olympics looming. If officers believe a potential mayor is entertaining a figure like Gascón, whom they view as anti-police, the recruiting and retention crisis will only worsen. This isn't about one video or one rumor; it's about whether LA's next mayor will back the men and women who keep the city safe or pander to a base that sees cops as the enemy. Voters should demand clarity, not word-salad denials, from anyone asking to lead a city that cannot afford to lose more officers.
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