LA Mayor Karen Bass launched a vicious attack on governor candidate Steve Hilton during a podcast appearance, mocking his British accent and dismissing his chances in deep-blue California. The exchange drew outrage from critics who called the remarks racist.
Bass appeared on the iHeart podcast Flagrant and Funny to discuss her re-election bid and the direction of Los Angeles. When the conversation turned to the governor’s race, she claimed it was already decided.
“Our governor’s name is Xavier Becerra. You don’t need an election on November 3rd,” Bass said, referring to the Democratic incumbent’s commanding lead over Republican candidate Steve Hilton.
Bass Mocks Hilton’s Accent
Bass went further than simply stating her position. She mocked Hilton’s accent, saying “A Republican cannot win in this state,” followed by “and yet a Republican with a British accent!?” The comments were delivered with clear derision toward both Hilton’s political standing and his origins.
One of the podcast hosts laughed and responded, “I know, right?”
Hilton was later asked by a Fox reporter about Bass’s remarks. He noted the irony of how many Democrats lecture about democracy and free and fair elections.
“Don’t bother voting. The Democrat always wins.”
Hilton attacked Bass’s remarks as racist, asking “Attacking people because of their accent? Attacking an immigrant — is that what Karen Bass is all about?”
He also pointed at trash on a Los Angeles sidewalk, saying “Rather than making stupid, personal insults, why don’t you clean up your city, Karen Bass?”
Spencer Pratt Weighs In
Former mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt criticized Bass, saying “This is what happens when you have one-party rule: these politicians take you for granted and don’t even try to earn your vote.”
Pratt urged Democrats to vote against their politicians: “If you Democrats actually want your politicians to do something for you, you need to hand them an L once in a while.”
The California Post reached out to the Bass campaign for comment on the backlash. The campaign dismissed the criticism and confidently declared victory for Becerra.
The Poll That Changed Everything
Bass’s confidence has been tested recently. A bombshell poll this week showed her challenger, socialist city council candidate Nithya Raman, surging to an 11-point lead with less than six weeks until the vote.
The Bass campaign dismissed that poll as an “outlier.” Campaign spokesman Alex Stack told the California Post: “One outlier poll which got the June primary wrong isn’t reflective of the energy we see when talking to voters every day and what every other poll indicates — this is going to be a close race.”
The Race At A Glance
| Candidate | Party | Current Standing |
|---|---|---|
| Xavier Becerra | Democrat | Incumbent |
| Steve Hilton | Republican | Running |
| Nithya Raman | Socialist | Surging in polls |
Why The Criticism Lands On Bass
The criticism of Bass is not about her right to disagree with Hilton. It is about how she chose to express that disagreement.
She mocked his accent rather than engaging with his ideas. She dismissed his chances based on geography rather than substance. And she did it on a podcast platform, where her words carried weight beyond any local dispute.
Hilton’s response was measured. He quoted the very lecturers he accused of hypocrisy — the Democrats who warn about democracy and then ignore it themselves. He pointed at the litter on his own city’s sidewalks, suggesting that Bass could have answered on policy instead of name-calling.
The irony is complete. The politician who warns about democracy’s fragility is the one whose behavior undermines it.
Bass’s campaign has framed the governor’s race as a foregone conclusion.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs neither side in this exchange and supports candidates judged issue by issue against its north star of individual freedom, small business and avoiding concentrations of power. The exchange between Bass and Hilton is a matter of tone and tactics, not of principle. Both candidates should be judged on their records and their platforms, not on their insults.
Bass’s mockery of Hilton’s accent was unbecoming of an elected official, and her dismissal of his chances in California was dismissive of voters. But her dismissal of the Raman poll was dismissive of the democratic process itself, and her campaign’s confident claim of victory looks increasingly hollow.
The real test will come in the election results. The paper will report them without favor, and its coverage will continue to apply its north star of individual freedom, small business and avoiding concentrations of power to every candidate and every issue.
Source material: “Outrage as LA mayor Karen Bass launches vicious attack on governor candidate over his heritage,” the New York Post.
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