Even for Nithya Raman’s Los Angeles mayoral campaign, which has been particularly social media savvy with a wide range of content, including collaborations with digital creators, reversals are sometimes necessary.
One of the latest social media videos was taken down from Raman’s mayoral campaign Instagram account after Raman appeared to associate Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell and Mayor Karen Bass with the phrase “fascist liars.”
In the now-deleted video, Raman was asked what she would do to “defascistize the city,” to which the mayoral candidate responded with a call for a “culture shift” and “new leadership” within the LAPD.
“I don’t believe that Chief McDonnell has met this moment, and I will make sure that we are appointing a police chief who can really respond to the needs that immigrant Angelenos have and that every resident of Los Angeles has,” Raman said in the video.
The now-deleted video by content creator Ed Choi featured Raman criticizing Bass and McDonnell.
The mayoral challenger went on to criticize McDonnell’s handling of anti-ICE protests in the summer of 2025, saying the police department, under the leadership of McDonnell and Bass, “tear-gassed” protesters and violated Angelenos’ First Amendment rights.
Raman’s campaign told NBC Los Angeles that when Raman shot the social media video with digital creator Ed Choi, she was asked to repeat Choi’s tagline, “Only you can stop fascist liars,” in the context of ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“The video was then edited by the creator to put Mayor Bass on screen during that moment, but Nithya never used that phrase to describe Mayor Bass, Chief McDonnell, or LAPD officers, which is why we removed ourselves from the post and asked the creator to take it down immediately,” Raman’s campaign said in a statement.
Raman’s team also told NBC Los Angeles that her desire to replace McDonnell is not surprising because she has been transparent about her disagreements with the chief.
Raman voted in favor of McDonnell’s appointment as LAPD chief in November 2024. The City Council ultimately confirmed McDonnell in an 11-2 vote.
NBCLA reached out to Choi but did not hear back.
McDonnell declined to comment on the video.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing rank-and-file LAPD officers, said the issue was not just what was said in the video, but also how it was edited. The union called the imagery showing McDonnell’s face crossed out in red “dangerous.”
The LAPPL’s Board of Directors said the imagery could be “seen as a dog whistle by unhinged individuals to go after Chief McDonnell,” potentially putting security officers assigned to protect the chief and mayor in danger.
“There is a reason that the Chief and the Mayor have a security detail. It’s because they are under constant threat,” the board said. “Unfortunately, Ms. Raman has now amplified those threats, and further endangered our members who serve on these details. It also underscores why she has no business leading Los Angeles.”
The LAPPL has been aggressively criticizing Raman’s record as a councilmember through television and online ads with less than a month remaining before the November election.
Bass’ reelection campaign also criticized Raman over the video, accusing her of using extreme rhetoric against LAPD officers.
“(Raman) wanted to defund the police and has repeatedly voted against police budgets and hiring additional officers that our city desperately needs. But labeling them ‘fascists’ — when officers put on the uniform every day to keep us safe — is crossing the line,” Bass’ campaign said in a statement. “It’s dangerous and extreme rhetoric, and it has no place in this city — let alone from someone trying to become mayor.”
Raman’s campaign has disputed that interpretation, saying the “fascist liars” phrase was directed at federal immigration agents and the Trump administration, not Bass, McDonnell or LAPD officers.
The controversy comes as Raman and Bass face off in the Nov. 3 mayoral election, with public safety and immigration enforcement among the central issues in the campaign.