Nithya Raman faces backlash over video targeting Los Angeles police chief
An Instagram video featuring Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman prompted criticism after it paired the phrase “Only you can stop fascist liars” with an image of police chief Jim McDonnell crossed out in red. The post was later removed, and the dispute has intensified debate over public safety and campaign rhetoric as Raman leads incumbent Karen Bass in a recent poll.
Raman’s campaign said the phrase referred to ICE and the Trump administration, and that the video was edited to imply it described Bass, McDonnell or LAPD officers; it said it asked the creator to remove the post. Bass criticised the rhetoric, while the city’s police union said the imagery could increase risks to officials and officers. A late-September FM3 Research poll put Raman four points ahead of Bass.
- A Raman campaign video drew criticism over its wording and imagery.
- Her campaign said the phrase referred to ICE and the Trump administration.
- A poll showed Raman four points ahead of Mayor Karen Bass.
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In an upcoming Los Angeles mayoral election, Nithya Raman is challenging the incumbent, Karen Bass. Public safety has become a central issue in their race.
A social media video posted by Raman's campaign paired the phrase "Only you can stop fascist liars" with an image of the city's police chief with a red line through it. The campaign later removed the post, saying the phrase was intended to refer to ICE (the federal immigration enforcement agency) and the Trump administration, and that the video had been edited in a way that misrepresented its meaning.
The video prompted significant criticism and raised concerns about campaign language and safety. Bass and the city's police union objected to the imagery and rhetoric, with the union arguing it could pose risks to officials and officers. The incident has sparked debate about public safety approaches and campaign messaging in the election.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The phrase 'Only you can stop fascist liars' was explicitly intended to reference ICE and Trump administration policies, not the LAPD or its leadership. The campaign promptly removed the video when it was misinterpreted and acknowledged the confusion. Strong rhetoric criticising police institutions and leadership is a legitimate part of democratic discourse, particularly when advocating for reform. The outrage, whilst understandable, conflates unfortunate visual juxtaposition with intentional incitement, and may reflect political opposition rather than genuine public safety concerns.
The case against
Regardless of stated intent, combining imagery of a police chief with text about 'stopping fascists' and visual markers of elimination creates a message reasonably interpreted as threatening. Law enforcement officials already face genuine threats; campaigns bear responsibility to vet content carefully and avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could heighten risks to public safety. A professional operation should foresee how such imagery might be perceived and avoid it entirely. Intent matters, but so does effect, and explanations do not erase the irresponsibility of the post's composition.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Fears for Los Angeles as woke lawmaker who’s favorite to be next mayor proudly declares police chief a ‘fascist liar’”.