FACT CHECK: Video Showing Karen Bass With Olympic Flag Is From August 2024

A post shared on X claims to show Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass with an Olympic flag overseas as Los Angeles burns.

While LA Burns. https://t.co/d3zkk2LT3F

— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) January 17, 2025

Verdict: False

The video is from August 2024.

Fact Check:

Social media users are showing a video of Bass with an Olympic flag, saying that it is from 2025. One user wrote “While LA Burns” while quote-tweeting the video. (RELATED: Facebook Video Purporting To Show Robot Cutting Elon Musk’s Hair Is AI-Generated)

This claim is false. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video is from August 2024. The video was published by NBC Los Angeles.

“Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass brought the official flag back to Southern California by more traditional means — a Delta flight that landed early Monday afternoon at LAX. Bass’ arrival marked the kick off to a four-year countdown to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” NBC Los Angeles reported.

Bass was in Ghana when the fires originally started, according to CBS News. She left on Jan. 4, days before the fires began, and returned on Jan. 8, per the outlet.