Nithya Raman dodges LAPD chief deadline as Karen Bass blasts rival’s flip-flops in fiery LA mayor debate

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Nithya Raman was back in the hot seat Tuesday night over her pledge to fire LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, refusing to say when she’d pull the trigger as a top ally of Mayor Karen Bass blasted her for misleading voters.

Pressed directly by The California Post for a timeline, Raman again declined to give a clear answer. She took just two questions from reporters afterward, while Bass had City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez field questions on her behalf.

Rodriguez wasted no time tearing into the challenger over her shifting statements about McDonnell and a since-deleted social media video portraying the police chief and mayor as “fascist liars.”

“That’s nonsense,” Rodriguez fired back when The California Post and other reporters raised Raman’s claim that removing McDonnell would require cooperation from the Police Commission and City Council.

“It clearly means that she has no idea the power of the mayor’s office,” Rodriguez said.

“On one hand, she says she’s gonna replace the police chief, then she says, ‘Well, it’s not part of my 100-day agenda, and he hasn’t met the moment, but his term expires in 2030, so maybe I’ll do it by then.’ What is the answer?”

Rodriguez accused Raman of telling different audiences what they wanted to hear. “She’s intentionally, I believe, trying to mislead the public.”

Inside NBC4’s Universal City studios, Bass appeared relaxed and confident as the candidates faced off before an in-person audience.

Raman, referring to prepared notes, invoked Ronald Reagan’s famous question, “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” She accused Bass of being “MIA” during the city’s biggest crises and argued that Angelenos were struggling with homelessness, housing costs and public safety on her watch.

But the sharpest exchange came when NBC4 political correspondent Conan Nolan, citing Raman’s previous remarks to The California Post, demanded a straight answer.

“For clarity, will you replace the chief before the twenty-eight Summer Olympic Games in LA?”

“I wanna replace the police chief. I’ve been very open about that. I’ve been very clear about that,” Raman insisted. “I don’t believe this chief has met the moment. I believe he’s lost the trust of Angelenos, especially in response to the ICE raids.”

But she wouldn’t commit to a deadline.

“It is not a unilateral decision by the mayor,” Raman said, pointing to the Police Commission and City Council.

Nolan pressed again, raising the security stakes surrounding the Games. “Will you replace the chief before twenty twenty-eight?”

“It will depend on these other factors, on other decision-making bodies,” Raman responded.

Bass pounced. “It is absolutely in the power of the mayor to fire the police chief,” she countered, warning that replacing McDonnell before the Olympics could disrupt the department’s preparations.

“The problem is that you [Raman] have a tendency to take different positions on different days of the week.”

Raman previously told The California Post she would replace McDonnell if elected. But in weekend TV interviews she stressed that his term runs through 2030 and that ousting him wasn’t part of her first 100-day agenda.

On Sunday, she shot down speculation that she might tap former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, whose controversial prosecution policies became a major issue in his 2024 reelection defeat.

“No, no. I don’t know where the rumors are coming from. I don’t know him personally,” Raman said. She had already told The California Post she would not appoint Gascón as chief.

Muddying the waters further: a since-deleted video featuring Raman and left-wing influencer Ed Choi repeating the phrase “Only you can stop fascist liars.” The edited clip showed images of Bass and McDonnell — including a red X over the police chief.

Raman’s campaign reposted it before deleting it amid backlash.

Nolan also asked whether she had vetted the video. “As soon as we realized that it was a mis-edited video, we took it down,” Raman said.

She insisted she had been referring to ICE and the Trump administration. “I would never imply that this city is fascist or that this mayor is fascist or that our police chief is fascist,” Raman maintained.

Bass wasn’t buying it. “It made me wonder whether you understood what the word fascism meant, but it also just showed that you’re not ready for prime time,” the mayor blasted.

The candidates also clashed over homelessness, with Bass accusing Raman of approving spending on her signature Inside Safe program while criticizing its cost.

“If you cannot manage the work of your committee, how on earth are you going to manage the second-largest city in the country?” Bass said.

Raman accused Bass of resorting to personal attacks to distract voters from her record on homelessness and the city’s affordability crisis.

The election is Nov. 3, three weeks away.

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