Khloe Kardashian faces backlash after criticizing Los Angeles’ Mayor Karen Bass
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass facing criticism over slashing the LAFD’s budget for the 2025 fiscal year in the wake of the wildfires.
Khloe Kardashian is facing criticism after calling out Los Angeles City Mayor Karen Bass amid ongoing wildfires that have been blazing paths of destruction throughout Los Angeles County since last week.
On Friday, the 40-year-old reality TV star posted a screenshot to her Instagram Stories of a clip on Fox 11 LA interview of the LA Fire Department’s chief Kristin Crowley explaining how budget cuts impacted her team.
In the caption, per the Daily Mail, Kardashian wrote, “I stand with you, Chief Crowley!!!!! You spoke the truth, and you had tears in your eyes because I can tell you didn’t want to say that, but it was THE TRUTH!!!!!”
The Calabasas, California resident added, “Mayor Bass, you are a joke!!!!”
In response, many online, including commentator Jemele Hill, found Kardashian’s criticism out of line, considering how often it’s alleged that her family exploits certain systems and services for themselves. In particular, the family’s water usage was so great it became a news story in the L.A. Times, and has come under fire in the backlash against Kardashian.
Both LAFD Chief Crowley and Kardashian’s criticisms of the mayor are referencing that Bass approved an almost $13 billion budget for the city, but slashed $17.6 million (a 2.7% decrease) from the Los Angeles Fire Department for the 2025 fiscal year, according to Forbes. The publication reports that the amount slashed includes $7 million from the department’s overtime budget.
During her interview with Fox 11, fire chief Crowley claimed she warned Mayor Bass in December of how budget cuts could burden her department’s response to a major emergency.
On Saturday, addressing the mounting controversy during a press conference where Bass and Crowley appeared together, the LA Times reported the mayor said their “No. 1 mission” was to get Los Angeles “past this emergency.”
“We want to make sure we save lives, we save housing, we save businesses,” Mayor Bass continued. “And if there are differences that we have, we will continue to deal with those in private.”
The youngest Kardashian daughter is only the latest celebrity to receive backlash stemming from her response to the LA wildfires. Last week Jhené Aiko, who has lost her entire home in the fires, began receiving backlash online after she gave an update to the public. Many criticizing her cited her being too well off to need the support.
“The fact some of you think I have Paris Hilton money is wild,” she wrote in the comments of a post. “I don’t got it like that.”
The “Stay Ready” singer noted that this wasn’t the first house fire she experienced. When she was in the second grade, her family’s house burned down and she experienced ridicule then as well.
“I never understood why some of the kids at school were so mean about it, because they thought we were rich when we weren’t,” she continued. “But they thought we were rich because we had love!!”
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