The facts
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman faced backlash after a social-media interview with left-leaning influencer Ed Choi (@etchaskej, ~800,000 followers). The clip, filmed Sunday at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College following Raman’s “First 100 Days” speech, showed Raman saying, “Only you can stop fascist liars,” while a red X was superimposed over LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell’s face. The Los Angeles Police Protective League called the imagery a “dangerous dog whistle” that could incite violence. Raman’s campaign said the creator asked her to repeat the phrase in reference to ICE and the Trump administration, and that the video was later edited to add the red X; the campaign removed the post and asked the creator to delete it. On June 6, 2025, amid citywide ICE raids, Raman spent about three hours at a staff happy hour at The Black Cat in Silver Lake, raising a drink with her team after a brief anti-ICE protest appearance.
Our take
What the fuck. Raman parrots a TikTok host’s line like a karaoke machine, then shifts blame to a video edit when the police union sounds the alarm on danger. The union, comprised of officers who recognize a threat, labeled the red X a dog-whistle that could transform a political jab into a literal target. Raman’s defense? Not my line; the creator edited it. That’s the spin you get when an influencer runs your campaign script. While the city was engulfed in ICE raids, Raman was three hours into a staff happy hour at The Black Cat, cocktails in hand, following a brief 90-minute protest appearance. The irony is as rich as her martini. She voted to confirm McDonnell after Mayor Bass appointed him, yet pledged to fire him for not meeting expectations. The only thing she’s meeting is the bottom of a glass. Even Bass deemed the video “dangerous and extreme,” and the police union cautioned it could spark violence. When you can't own the words you repeat, you're not a leader – you're a prop for clicks. De-fascicize this clown out of the race.
