LA Mayor Karen Bass finally admits that her trip to Ghana while city burned in wildfires was a mistake

Daily Mail​

27-07-2025

Months after deadly wildfires tore through Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass has finally admitted her trip to Ghana during the crisis was a mistake.
In an interview with Vice News, Bass expressed regret for being out of the country while flames destroyed homes, displaced thousands, and scorched over 40,000 acres across Los Angeles and surrounding areas.
'I was asked, "Do I regret going?" Hell yeah,' Bass said. 'I mean, let me just do a comparison. If you are out of town and your kid or a member of your family gets sick or hurt, it doesn't matter where you were or why you were there. You feel horrible.'
The mayor had traveled to West Africa as part of a U.S. delegation attending the presidential inauguration in Ghana - despite multiple fire weather warnings issued for Los Angeles prior to her departure.
The Los Angeles Times later reported that Bass's team had been made aware of the fire risks before the trip.
Still, Bass insists she was caught off guard.
'I'm really not trying to give excuses, but there was no way in the world I knew that the city was in danger when I left,' she said. 'Absolutely no way.'
Bass expressed regret for being out of the country while flames destroyed homes, displaced thousands, and scorched over 40,000 acres across Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Pictured: The Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, January 7, 2025
Upon returning, Bass said she questioned fire officials about the lack of advance warning.
'I did ask the chief when I came back, like, "Why didn't you tell me?" and basically the response was: "Because we have Santa Anas all the time, and nobody expected hurricane-force winds."'
'I didn't get briefed. That's true,' she admitted. 'But again, people did not anticipate the historic wind. And it wasn't just LA - it was the county too.'
Bass said she spent much of the 12-hour flight back to the 'city on fire' on the phone preparing an emergency declaration.
She landed back in the U.S. the day after wildfires began ravaging neighborhoods like Pacific Palisades.
Despite her admission of 'wrongdoing,' Bass continued to deflect criticism during the interview with Vice News' Shane Smith, shifting blame to the county's fire leadership.
'What typically happens is that if there's going to be a big weather event, there are these briefings that happen,' she explained.
'It's either initiated by the fire department or the emergency department. I was used to the fire chief calling me and telling me, "This is getting ready to happen, come over, I need to brief you." Everything goes into motion. That didn't happen - in the city or in the county.'
When she eventually returned from Ghana, the embattled mayor received harsh criticism.
In a now-viral moment, Bass was confronted by Sky News reporter David Blevins, who pressed her on why she had traveled abroad while her city was in crisis.
But, she refused to answer his questions and walked away.
'Do you owe your citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning?' Blevins asked as Bass remained silent.
The reporter continued pressing: 'Do you regret cutting the fire department by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor? Have you nothing to say today?'
'Do you think you should've been visiting Ghana while this was unfolding back home?'
The controversy deepened after it was revealed Bass had proposed slashing the Los Angeles Fire Department's budget by $23 million in 2024 - the final approved cut amounted to a whopping $17.6 million, Daily Mail previously reported.
Amid growing backlash, Bass dismissed Fire Chief Kristin Crowley in February.
However, Crowley pushed back, accusing city leaders of failing to support emergency operations during the fires.
But, Bass defended her actions during the all-encompassing interview.
'Yes, there were broken fire engines,' she said. 'We find out later that those fire engines were there broken because they're used for spare parts. But there were 40 fire engines that were idle because they didn't have the staff that [Crowley] sent home.'
She also insisted the fire department's budget was never truly cut - only delayed during labor negotiations.
'And the budget cut - I don't know the reasons for it - and then the budget cut that never happened,' Bass added.
'What we did when we did the budget was we put money aside for fire because we were in labor negotiations. When the labor negotiations were done, we put it back in the budget. Which is a common thing. We're doing that right now.'
Still, Crowley told Fox News she believed city leadership had failed her during the crisis, responding with a firm 'yes' when asked directly if she felt let down by those in charge.
Bass's actions were deeply criticized back in January when, as flames spread and families fled, she posted updates on social media from abroad - thanking first responders and sharing shelter resources while physically half a world away.
Her visit to Ghana included attending President John Dramani Mahama's swearing-in and meetings with the country's first female vice president.
The trip was designed to foster international relationships and cultural ties - but the timing, in the midst of one of LA's worst fire disasters in recent memory, shadowed any intended goodwill.