Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman is facing backlash over a video with influencer Ed Choi. In the video, Raman and Choi say in unison, “only you can stop fascist liars,” as an image of Mayor Karen Bass appears on screen. Choi says Los Angeles has become “extremely fascist,” citing Bass’s appointment of LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. Raman criticizes McDonnell in the video and says she would appoint new leadership at the LAPD if elected mayor. Bass says the video shows Raman is not ready for “primetime” and questioned whether either Raman or Choi had looked up the word “fascist” in the dictionary. Raman’s campaign says the phrase was directed at federal immigration agents and the Trump administration, not Bass, McDonnell or LAPD officers. The campaign says Choi edited the video to place Bass on screen and says it asked him to remove the post. Choi took it down.
