Latest news with #FoxDigital
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Live updates: Trump announces big tech, energy investments at Pittsburgh summit
Video: State Department official testifies before Senate on 2026 budget request President Trump announced $92 billion worth of investments in tech and energy projects on Tuesday in Pittsburgh at an summit organized by Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.). 'Pennsylvania is spearheading the charge for American energy and AI dominance,' the senator wrote in an op-ed Tuesday for Fox Digital. The Senate is pushing up against a Friday deadline to approve a rescissions package from the White House. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday that he will press ahead with a vote, secure he has the number of votes to pass it. The White House said it would allow the exemption of PEPFAR from the cuts, which had drawn opposition. Earlier Tuesday, former national security adviser Mike Waltz, testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his bid to become U.N. ambassador, stood by the use of Signal in a chat that discussed sensitive military details earlier this year. Waltz, under questioning from Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), said no disciplinary action was taken against him or others in the March chat. He said the use of Signal stemmed from a Biden-era recommendation for using an end-to-end encrypted chat. The two disagreed over the nature of the information that was shared in that chat and whether it was appropriate to discuss it there. Worth your time: Inflation ticks up in June following tariffs GOP senators want nothing to do with Trump-Epstein-MAGA controversy Trump faces MAGA midterm warnings on Epstein Trump toughens his stance on Russia Stick around here all day for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Epstein saga engulfs MAGA World
It's Tuesday. How are we already halfway through July?? I swear it JUST began. In today's issue: Epstein files spark MAGA revolt Trump visits Pittsburgh Mike Waltz grilled on 'Signalgate' Inflation climbs in June Let's talk about en-er-gy. Let's talk about you and me: President Trump, desperate to turn the page on the Jeffrey Epstein saga that continues to consume Washington, is focusing on his economic agenda today. Trump is en route to Pittsburgh to promote his energy and technology agenda. He will reportedly announce $70 billion in investments for Pennsylvania. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) organized the summit — and published an op-ed for Fox Digital this morning to preview it. But back in Washington, some in MAGA World are turning on the president over Epstein — and Republican senators want to stay as far as possible from the controversy. (They already have their own headaches fending off Democrats' attacks on Medicaid cuts and the tariffs.) Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI reached a joint conclusion that Epstein did not have a famous client list and was not murdered — Trump even encouraged his supporters not to 'waste time' on the Epstein files. But that's a drastic U-turn from the sentiment from some in Trump's orbit just last year — and it's raising eyebrows. Attorney General Pam Bondi in February suggested she had the client list sitting on her desk. But now, she insists it does not exist. In 2021, now- Vice President Vance accused the government of covering up a client list, telling journalists to be 'ashamed' of themselves for not asking questions. But now the White House, which Vance serves in, denies that list exists. FBI Director Kash Patel was adamant in 2023 that the Epstein files be released. 'Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are,' he said at the time. But now, he insists, 'the conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been.' In a 2024 Fox News interview, Trump said he would release the Epstein files. But a video from that interview has resurfaced showing Trump's full answer. 'I guess I would. I think that less so because, you don't know, you don't want to affect people's lives if it's phony stuff in there, because it's a lot of phony stuff with that whole world. But I think I would,' Trump said. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk said this past weekend that he's 'done talking about Epstein' and that he is going to 'trust [his friends] in the administration.' But this change of heart within some in the Trump administration hasn't convinced everyone. Several of his high-profile, loyal supporters — such as his former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and prominent conservative activist Laura Loomer — are skeptical of his administration's newfound desire to forget the saga. And some conservatives are keeping up the pressure: Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson accused Bondi of making up 'a bunch of ludicrous claims on cable news shows that she couldn't back up, and this current outrage is the result.' And so was fellow former Fox News host Megyn Kelly. 'Good grief! That was no bueno, guys,' Kelly said on her popular podcast and YouTube show. Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law and former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, thinks the White House needs to show 'more transparency' in the controversy. The Hill's Emily Brooks reports in 'The Movement' that conservative influencers and personalities strongly believe withholding the Epstein files will cost Republicans in the midterms. But for what it's worth, national GOP strategists think that assertion is premature. NEW — someone who was once held in the same cell as Epstein added his perspective: Former mob boss Michael Franzese was once held in the same jail cell with Epstein. He told NewsNation on Monday night there's 'just no way' he committed suicide. He explained the layout of the jail cell to explain his reasoning. Read his reasoning Jon Stewart has some thoughts: 'Surprisingly, MAGA World, for the first time in memory, isn't just slavishly acquiescing to Trump's reality distortion field,' Jon Stewart said on 'The Daily Show.' A horizontal promotion, if you will: Democrats are grilling President Trump 's ex-national security adviser Mike Waltz in his confirmation hearing to become the U.N. ambassador. How he got this new gig: Remember Signalgate? You know, the scandal over when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top national security officials discussed sensitive military plans in a group that that accidentally included a journalist? Waltz was later dismissed from his gig, and Trump immediately nominated him for U.N. ambassador. How is his confirmation hearing going?: Waltz said there were no disciplinary consequences for national security leaders discussing sensitive military attack plans on a group chat. From Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.): Coons said he was hoping to 'hear from you some sense of regret, over sharing what was very sensitive timely information about a military strike on a commercially available app that's not, as we both know the appropriate way to share such critical information.' 💻 Watch Waltz's confirmation hearing Inflation ticks up a bit: U.S. inflation surged by 2.7 percent in June as President Trump 's tariffs have begun to affect prices. The numbers: 'The Labor Department's consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.3 percent on the month to hit an increase of 2.7 percent compared to last year. The Federal Reserve's target for inflation is 2 percent.' Was this expected?: Yes. 'Economists were expecting an annual rise in the June index of between 2.6 percent and 3.0 percent, so the increase is in line with their expectations.' Keep in mind: 'Though some of Trump's tariffs started earlier, his wide-ranging 'reciprocal' tariffs were announced in early April, though many of them have been paused until Aug. 1. U.S. inventories take roughly three months to clear and there was a huge pull-ahead in orders from U.S. importers prior to the tariffs, so the April-to-July price lag confirms many economic forecasts.' The Supreme Court gave the green light: The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to carry out mass layoffs at the Department of Education as part of his effort to 'dismantle' the federal agency. The ruling: 6-3 along ideological lines What this means for the Education Department, via The Hill's Lexi Lonas Cochran. For more Supreme Court coverage, sign up for The Gavel, The Hill's weekly courts newsletter, written by Ella Lee and Zach Schonfeld. It publishes every Wednesday. COMING UP The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Pittsburgh this afternoon. (All times EST) 12:30 p.m.: Trump leaves for Pittsburgh. 2:30 p.m.: Trump participates in the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation event in Pittsburgh. 💻 Livestream 6:50 p.m.: Trump returns to the White House. 🍭 Celebrate: Today is National Gummy Worm Day. 2a53c1 Because I always want to leave you on a happy note, here's one of my favorite videos I've seen in a while. We don't deserve these goofs.
The Hill
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Live updates: Waltz faces Senate hearing; Trump heads to Pittsburgh for AI summit
President Trump will promote his energy and technology agenda on Tuesday in Pittsburgh at a summit organized by Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.). Trump and McCormick will announce $70 billion in investments for the state, according to reports, at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, which will bring together Cabinet officials and industry leaders. 'Pennsylvania is spearheading the charge for American energy and AI dominance,' the senator wrote in an op-ed for Fox Digital on Tuesday. On Capitol Hill, Mike Waltz, a former House member and briefly Trump's national security adviser, will face the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his bid to become U.N. ambassador. He is sure to be grilled by Democrats who will want to know about his role in 'Signalgate,' when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other administration officials discussed Yemen attack plans in a group chat that included a mistakenly invited journalist. The House Education Committee will convene a hearing on antisemitism in higher education on Tuesday. And the Senate is pushing up against a Friday deadline to approve a rescissions package from the White House. Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, is expected on the Hill to speak to Republican senators on the vote. Worth your time:
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Karen Bass' handling of LA riots adds to decades of political baggage
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing heightened scrutiny from President Donald Trump for her handling of the anti-ICE riots gripping the city, which follows a history of political scandals and criticisms across her decades as an elected official, Fox News Digital has learned. Bass, who was sworn in as mayor in 2022, is under fire after denouncing immigration raids that began in LA on Friday, when federal law enforcement officials converged on the city, sparking protests that soon devolved into violence and chaos. Trump administration officials have since argued that Democratic rhetoric denouncing the immigration raids, while simultaneously offering messages of support to illegal immigrants residing in the nation, emboldened protesters, which led to the riots. "Newsom and his stooge Karen Bass fomented and encouraged the riots, because their entire political movement exists for one purpose: to promote mass migration into our country," Vice President JD Vance wrote on X on Tuesday. "It is their reason for being. Democratic leadership has no solution for the economy, for prosperity, or for security. They use their power when they're in the majority to import millions of illegal immigrants and when they're in opposition they do everything possible to prevent deportations." Social Media, Trump Admin Erupts Over La Mayor's Reaction To Ice Raids: 'You're A Criminal Too' As Bass faces ongoing condemnation from the Trump administration over the violence in Southern California, Fox Digital took a look back at previous scandals and incidents that landed the former House lawmaker in hot water. Read On The Fox News App As Bass was floated as a top contender to join former President Joe Biden as his running mate during the 2020 election, multiple news reports parsed Bass' past comments on communist leaders, including lamenting Communist Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's death in 2016 in a statement. "I wish to express my condolences to the Cuban people and the family of Fidel Castro. The passing of the Comandante en Jefe is a great loss to the people of Cuba. I hope together, our two nations will continue on the new path of support and collaboration with one another, and continue in the new direction of diplomacy," she said in a statement after his death. "Comandante en Jefe" translates to commander in chief. Bass distanced herself from the statement as she faced vetting to potentially join the 2020 presidential ticket alongside Biden, telling Fox News in 2020 that her views on Cuba "developed over time" and that she understood that Castro's government, which spanned nearly 50 years, "was a brutal regime." Mayor Bass Blames Trump's Ice Raids For Starting Riots While Claiming 'Things In La Are Calm' "I absolutely would have not put that statement out," she added while appearing on Fox News that year. Bass again raised political eyebrows in 2020 for her praise of communists after Politico resurrected her 2017 remarks eulogizing one of the top members of the Communist Party USA in 2017, including calling him a "friend and mentor" in remarks inserted in congressional record. "I would like to honor the life and memory of my friend and mentor, Oneil Marion Cannon, who passed away on January 20, days before his 100th birthday," Bass wrote of Oneil Cannon. The comments did not mention that Cannon was a top leader of the Communist Party USA, identifying him instead as being "deeply involved in politics" and that he belonged to the Independent Progressive Party. "I would like to salute Oneil Cannon for his longstanding commitment to serving and uplifting others, and for a century of fighting to make the world a better place," she added. An obituary published in the communist-founded newspaper, People's World, reported that Cannon was a "longtime communist" who served as the Communist Party USA's "education director in the Southern California District, and a member of the Party's Southern California and National Central Committees." Rep. Karen Bass Called Top Member Of Communist Party Usa A 'Friend And Mentor' In Eulogy: Report Bass' team argued in response to criticisms over the praise of the communist leader that the former House lawmaker never shared Cannon's political ideology, similar to how she was friends with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy without the pair holding the same political views. "Karen Bass has always been a Democrat and only a Democrat. The Congresswoman is friends with Kevin McCarthy and is not a Republican. She knew Oneil Cannon but never shared the political ideology he may have had at one time in his life," a spokesperson told Politico at the time. Bass's office told Fox Digital on Thursday, when asked about the list of previous scandals and criticisms, that the mayor is focused on "leading the city through this difficult time to ensure the safety and stability of its residents." "While the Administration continues to create chaos and provoke the people of Los Angeles, Mayor Bass is focused on leading the city through this difficult time to ensure the safety and stability of its residents. Mayor Bass has made change in Los Angeles and under her leadership, crime is down, she has reduced homelessness for the first time in years and is leading a natural disaster recovery effort that is on pace to be the fastest in state history," the mayor's office said. Bass' office faced scrutiny late last year after the FBI raided the home of her deputy mayor of public safety, Brian Williams, in December for making a bomb threat to Los Angeles City Hall. Williams, who no longer works in the mayor's office, agreed to plead guilty in May to a felony charge of "information with threats regarding fire and explosives," which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The former deputy mayor's plea agreement outlined that on Oct. 3 of last year, Williams was in a virtual meeting with colleagues when he used a Google Voice application on his personal cell phone to call his work phone, the DOJ reported in a press release last month. The city official then left the virtual meeting and called the Los Angeles Police Department's chief of staff to report he had received a call from a man threatening to bomb city hall. Karen Bass's Former Deputy Mayor Of Public Safety Admits Bomb Threat Hoax Targeting Los Angeles City Hall Williams then texted Bass and other city officials that he had received a bomb threat, the DOJ said. "Bomb threat: I received phone call on my city cell at 10:48 am this morning. The male caller stated that 'he was tired of the city support of Israel, and he has decided to place a bomb in City Hall. It might be in the rotunda.' I immediately contacted the chief of staff of LAPD, they are going to send a number of officers over to do a search of the building and to determine if anyone else received a threat," the message read, Fox News Digital previously reported. The DOJ noted in its press release that "Williams received no such call and had made the bomb threat himself. At no time did Williams intend to carry out the threat." "Like many, we were shocked when these allegations were first made, and we are saddened by this conclusion," a spokesperson for Bass said in May of Williams admitting to the bomb threat. Bass faced backlash during her mayoral campaign in 2022, when her opponent, real estate magnate Rick Caruso, launched an ad campaign showing Bass praising the Church of Scientology during a 2010 speech at the opening of the group's headquarters in Los Angeles. Scientology is frequently described by former members as a "cult," a label the church rejects. "The Church of Scientology I know has made a difference," Bass said during the 2010 speech. "Because your creed is a universal creed and one that speaks to all people everywhere." Amid backlash, Bass distanced herself from the group, citing how first-hand accounts have "exposed this group." Leah Remini Calls Out Karen Bass For Past Praise Of Scientology: Victims 'Deserve Better From You' "Back in 2010, I attended the event knowing I was going to address a group of people with beliefs very different than my own, and spoke briefly about things I think most of us agree with, and on those things — respect for different views, equality, and fighting oppression — my views have not changed," Bass wrote in the statement posted to social media in 2022. "Since then, published first-hand accounts in books, interviews and documentaries have exposed this group." Bass faced intense criticism earlier this year after wildfires erupted in Los Angeles while she was abroad in Africa—blazes that quickly escalated into widespread devastation across the region. Bass traveled to Ghana for the swearing-in ceremony of the nation's president in January at a time when Southern California was at high risk of fires, Fox Digital previously reported. The Palisades Fires began on Jan. 7, with Bass not returning to California until the following day. A reporter confronted Bass about her overseas trip as she exited the plane upon her return to Los Angeles, but she refused to answer his questions. "Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning? And do you regret cutting the Fire Department budget by millions of dollars, Madame Mayor?" Sky News reporter David Blevins asked as Bass was seen waiting to exit the plane. "Have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today?" he added, but Bass did not respond in a video that subsequently went viral. Photos later emerged showing Bass at a cocktail party in Ghana just moments before evacuation orders were issued over the raging fires, Fox Digital previously reported. La Mayor Bass Points Fingers When Grilled On Africa Trip Amid Botched Wildfire Response "The presidential delegation was hosted by the United States ambassador to Ghana on the way to the plane," Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said in response to the photos at the time. "For the majority of the time, the mayor was in a different room on calls from LA." Bass said in February during an interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles that she "felt absolutely terrible not being here for my city." "Would I say it was a mistake, absolutely. The idea that I was not present was very painful," she added. The woes did not end there, however, as Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley told local media during the raging fires that she believed the City of Los Angeles and Bass, specifically, failed residents. The fire chief added that the department had long been plagued by staffing issues and lack of resources, which she had previously detailed in a series of memos to the city. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Sacks Fire Chief Who Said City Failed Residents In Wildfires "Since day one, we've identified huge gaps in regard to our service delivery and our ability of our firefighters' boots on the ground to do their jobs since day one," Crowley said at the time. "This is my third budget as we're going into 2025-2026, and what I can tell you is we are still understaffed, we're still under-resourced and we're still underfunded." "Any budget cut is going to impact our ability to provide service," she said. "That is a ground truth in regard to our ability. If there's a budget cut, we had to pull from somewhere else. What does that mean? That doesn't get done or that there are delays." Bass fired Crowley in February, citing the former fire chief's handling of wildfires. "We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley's watch," Bass article source: Mayor Karen Bass' handling of LA riots adds to decades of political baggage
Fox News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Mayor Karen Bass' handling of LA riots adds to decades of political baggage
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing heightened scrutiny from President Donald Trump for her handling of the anti-ICE riots gripping the city, which follows a history of political scandals and criticisms across her decades as an elected official, Fox News Digital has learned. Bass, who was sworn in as mayor in 2022, is under fire after denouncing immigration raids that began in LA on Friday, when federal law enforcement officials converged on the city, sparking protests that soon devolved into violence and chaos. Trump administration officials have since argued that Democratic rhetoric denouncing the immigration raids, while simultaneously offering messages of support to illegal immigrants residing in the nation, emboldened protesters, which led to the riots. "Newsom and his stooge Karen Bass fomented and encouraged the riots, because their entire political movement exists for one purpose: to promote mass migration into our country," Vice President JD Vance wrote on X on Tuesday. "It is their reason for being. Democratic leadership has no solution for the economy, for prosperity, or for security. They use their power when they're in the majority to import millions of illegal immigrants and when they're in opposition they do everything possible to prevent deportations." As Bass faces ongoing condemnation from the Trump administration over the violence in Southern California, Fox Digital took a look back at previous scandals and incidents that landed the former House lawmaker in hot water. As Bass was floated as a top contender to join former President Joe Biden as his running mate during the 2020 election, multiple news reports parsed Bass' past comments on communist leaders, including lamenting Communist Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's death in 2016 in a statement. "I wish to express my condolences to the Cuban people and the family of Fidel Castro. The passing of the Comandante en Jefe is a great loss to the people of Cuba. I hope together, our two nations will continue on the new path of support and collaboration with one another, and continue in the new direction of diplomacy," she said in a statement after his death. "Comandante en Jefe" translates to commander in chief. Bass distanced herself from the statement as she faced vetting to potentially join the 2020 presidential ticket alongside Biden, telling Fox News in 2020 that her views on Cuba "developed over time" and that she understood that Castro's government, which spanned nearly 50 years, "was a brutal regime." "I absolutely would have not put that statement out," she added while appearing on Fox News that year. Bass again raised political eyebrows in 2020 for her praise of communists after Politico resurrected her 2017 remarks eulogizing one of the top members of the Communist Party USA in 2017, including calling him a "friend and mentor" in remarks inserted in congressional record. "I would like to honor the life and memory of my friend and mentor, Oneil Marion Cannon, who passed away on January 20, days before his 100th birthday," Bass wrote of Oneil Cannon. The comments did not mention that Cannon was a top leader of the Communist Party USA, identifying him instead as being "deeply involved in politics" and that he belonged to the Independent Progressive Party. "I would like to salute Oneil Cannon for his longstanding commitment to serving and uplifting others, and for a century of fighting to make the world a better place," she added. An obituary published in the communist-founded newspaper, People's World, reported that Cannon was a "longtime communist" who served as the Communist Party USA's "education director in the Southern California District, and a member of the Party's Southern California and National Central Committees." Bass' team argued in response to criticisms over the praise of the communist leader that the former House lawmaker never shared Cannon's political ideology, similar to how she was friends with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy without the pair holding the same political views. "Karen Bass has always been a Democrat and only a Democrat. The Congresswoman is friends with Kevin McCarthy and is not a Republican. She knew Oneil Cannon but never shared the political ideology he may have had at one time in his life," a spokesperson told Politico at the time. Bass's office told Fox Digital on Thursday, when asked about the list of previous scandals and criticisms, that the mayor is focused on "leading the city through this difficult time to ensure the safety and stability of its residents." "While the Administration continues to create chaos and provoke the people of Los Angeles, Mayor Bass is focused on leading the city through this difficult time to ensure the safety and stability of its residents. Mayor Bass has made change in Los Angeles and under her leadership, crime is down, she has reduced homelessness for the first time in years and is leading a natural disaster recovery effort that is on pace to be the fastest in state history," the mayor's office said. Bass' office faced scrutiny late last year after the FBI raided the home of her deputy mayor of public safety, Brian Williams, in December for making a bomb threat to Los Angeles City Hall. Williams, who no longer works in the mayor's office, agreed to plead guilty in May to a felony charge of "information with threats regarding fire and explosives," which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The former deputy mayor's plea agreement outlined that on Oct. 3 of last year, Williams was in a virtual meeting with colleagues when he used a Google Voice application on his personal cell phone to call his work phone, the DOJ reported in a press release last month. The city official then left the virtual meeting and called the Los Angeles Police Department's chief of staff to report he had received a call from a man threatening to bomb city hall. Williams then texted Bass and other city officials that he had received a bomb threat, the DOJ said. "Bomb threat: I received phone call on my city cell at 10:48 am this morning. The male caller stated that 'he was tired of the city support of Israel, and he has decided to place a bomb in City Hall. It might be in the rotunda.' I immediately contacted the chief of staff of LAPD, they are going to send a number of officers over to do a search of the building and to determine if anyone else received a threat," the message read, Fox News Digital previously reported. The DOJ noted in its press release that "Williams received no such call and had made the bomb threat himself. At no time did Williams intend to carry out the threat." "Like many, we were shocked when these allegations were first made, and we are saddened by this conclusion," a spokesperson for Bass said in May of Williams admitting to the bomb threat. Bass faced backlash during her mayoral campaign in 2022, when her opponent, real estate magnate Rick Caruso, launched an ad campaign showing Bass praising the Church of Scientology during a 2010 speech at the opening of the group's headquarters in Los Angeles. Scientology is frequently described by former members as a "cult," a label the church rejects. "The Church of Scientology I know has made a difference," Bass said during the 2010 speech. "Because your creed is a universal creed and one that speaks to all people everywhere." Amid backlash, Bass distanced herself from the group, citing how first-hand accounts have "exposed this group." "Back in 2010, I attended the event knowing I was going to address a group of people with beliefs very different than my own, and spoke briefly about things I think most of us agree with, and on those things — respect for different views, equality, and fighting oppression — my views have not changed," Bass wrote in the statement posted to social media in 2022. "Since then, published first-hand accounts in books, interviews and documentaries have exposed this group." Bass faced intense criticism earlier this year after wildfires erupted in Los Angeles while she was abroad in Africa—blazes that quickly escalated into widespread devastation across the region. Bass traveled to Ghana for the swearing-in ceremony of the nation's president in January at a time when Southern California was at high risk of fires, Fox Digital previously reported. The Palisades Fires began on Jan. 7, with Bass not returning to California until the following day. A reporter confronted Bass about her overseas trip as she exited the plane upon her return to Los Angeles, but she refused to answer his questions. "Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning? And do you regret cutting the Fire Department budget by millions of dollars, Madame Mayor?" Sky News reporter David Blevins asked as Bass was seen waiting to exit the plane. "Have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today?" he added, but Bass did not respond in a video that subsequently went viral. Photos later emerged showing Bass at a cocktail party in Ghana just moments before evacuation orders were issued over the raging fires, Fox Digital previously reported. "The presidential delegation was hosted by the United States ambassador to Ghana on the way to the plane," Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said in response to the photos at the time. "For the majority of the time, the mayor was in a different room on calls from LA." Bass said in February during an interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles that she "felt absolutely terrible not being here for my city." "Would I say it was a mistake, absolutely. The idea that I was not present was very painful," she added. The woes did not end there, however, as Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley told local media during the raging fires that she believed the City of Los Angeles and Bass, specifically, failed residents. The fire chief added that the department had long been plagued by staffing issues and lack of resources, which she had previously detailed in a series of memos to the city. "Since day one, we've identified huge gaps in regard to our service delivery and our ability of our firefighters' boots on the ground to do their jobs since day one," Crowley said at the time. "This is my third budget as we're going into 2025-2026, and what I can tell you is we are still understaffed, we're still under-resourced and we're still underfunded." "Any budget cut is going to impact our ability to provide service," she said. "That is a ground truth in regard to our ability. If there's a budget cut, we had to pull from somewhere else. What does that mean? That doesn't get done or that there are delays." Bass fired Crowley in February, citing the former fire chief's handling of wildfires. "We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley's watch," Bass said.
