Resignation Petition for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Approaches 100k Signatures [WATCH]

A petition demanding the immediate resignation of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has gathered nearly 100,000 signatures.

The petition accuses Bass of “gross mismanagement” in handling the devastating wildfires ravaging Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.

The fires have claimed at least 16 lives, with five fatalities reported in the Palisades fire on the city’s west side.

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Over 36,000 acres have burned, and more than 12,000 homes and structures have been destroyed.

Officials warn that these figures may rise as search and rescue teams continue to sift through the rubble, and strong winds complicate firefighting efforts.

Amid the ongoing disaster, Democrat officials in California, including Mayor Bass, have faced criticism for their response.

Residents of Los Angeles launched the petition on Change.org, demanding Bass step down from office. The petition states:

“We, the undersigned residents of Los Angeles and concerned citizens, urgently call for the immediate recall of Mayor Karen Bass due to her gross mismanagement and failure to effectively respond to the devastating 2025 fires in and around the city of Los Angeles.”

Bass, who is serving her first term as mayor, faced backlash early in the crisis for leaving the city to attend a trip to Ghana, reportedly using a military aircraft.

Critics allege that she ignored warnings about the heightened risk of wildfires before her departure.

Upon her return, the situation had worsened dramatically.

Bass’s response upon her return has been widely criticized.

During a press conference, she struggled to deliver remarks, mispronounced key words such as “heroism,” and awkwardly spelled out “U-R-L” instead of providing a functional website address.

Her performance drew unfavorable comparisons to President Joe Biden’s frequent verbal missteps.

Prior to the press conference, Bass avoided answering reporters’ questions about her absence and the city’s apparent lack of preparedness for the wildfire crisis.

The mayor’s actions prior to the fires have also come under scrutiny.

Last year, Bass approved a $17 million budget cut for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), redirecting funds to address the city’s homelessness crisis.

According to a leaked memo, she had initially proposed slashing nearly $49 million from the LAFD budget just a week before the fires began.

LAFD Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, addressing the impact of these cuts, stated:

“Any budget cut is going to impact our ability to provide service. 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.”

LA Fire Chief Calls Out Mayor’s Defunding Decisions During Disaster

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley’s position hangs in the balance following a tense Friday meeting with Mayor Karen Bass.

The meeting, which occurred amid ongoing wildfires devastating the city, has fueled… pic.twitter.com/k1LitwM6nu

— RVM News (@redvoicenews) January 11, 2025

Even high-profile figures have weighed in on the controversy.

Khloe Kardashian expressed her frustration on Instagram, commending Chief Crowley for her honesty and criticizing Mayor Bass directly:

“I stand by YOU, Chief Crowley! You spoke the truth, and you had tears in your eyes because I can tell you didn’t even want to say that, but it was THE TRUTH! Mayor Bass, you are a joke!”
Kardashian and her family, including Kim, Kris, Kourtney, Kylie, Kendall, and Rob, were forced to evacuate their homes due to the fires.

The petition, which is expected to surpass 100,000 signatures soon, has gained traction on social media, with figures like Elon Musk and actor James Woods sharing it on X (formerly Twitter).

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— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 11, 2025

The petition calls for a “full, transparent investigation into the failures in disaster preparedness, response, and resource allocation that left our city vulnerable.”

It concludes by asserting that:

“The people of Los Angeles deserve a leader who is present, accountable, and actively working to protect and serve our community. Mayor Bass’s actions—or lack thereof—have shown she is unfit for the office she holds.”

This mounting pressure adds to Bass’s growing list of challenges as the city continues to battle one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in its history.

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