LA Times owner says outlet made ‘mistake’ endorsing Dem Mayor Karen Bass

Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong admitted Monday that his outlet erred by endorsing Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass during the 2022 election.

The Los Angeles Times backed Bass in May 2022 and she won the November election that year against real estate developer and former Republican Rick Caruso. Soon-Shiong, who purchased the Los Angeles Times in 2018, suggested on “The Morning Meeting” that Bass is incompetent, echoing a viral post X post he made Thursday, in which he argued that the California wildfires may have highlighted the importance of choosing leaders based on “competence” rather than political affiliation.

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“Well, first of all, we’ll accept some blame, right? So at the LA Times, we endorsed Karen Bass. I think, right now, upfront, that’s a mistake, and we admit that. So, I thought it was very important early on for me to come out, and I think we were one of the few to say competence matters,” Soon-Shiong said. “Got like maybe 20-23 million views to show how that was really due to the heart of most people, whether you’re right or left. And it’s an interesting thing is that maybe we should think about how we elect people on the basis of, did they actually run a job? Did they actually make a payroll?”

“Do they understand what it is, and rather than having professional politicians whose only job is really to run for office? I’m not trying to be disparaging, but I think we’re at the stage now, of the nation and the world … that you really need people to understand how it affects a man in the street, how it affects the working type of person,” he continued. “And I think President Trump, in this election, has understood that … So competence absolutely matters, and I’m glad that that’s been taken up as almost a meme now — that competence matters.”

Bass said at the beginning of her mayoral campaign in 2021 that she would not travel overseas while in office, but she traveled to Ghana to attend the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama as flames and high winds devastated Los Angeles.

Californians have become enraged by Bass’ travel during the fires, which have thus far caused at least 24 deaths and the destruction of an estimated 12,000 homes, businesses, and schools. Bass appeared to stare blankly at a wall and stayed silent as Sky News reporter David Blevins questioned her about whether she owes her constituents an apology for being absent as the wildfires commenced.

EATON FIRE: This is the current state for some homeowners right now who aren’t even that far up the mountain in #Altadena @DailyCaller #Pasadena | #California pic.twitter.com/4Il84D14JD

— Hailey Grace Gomez (@haileyggomez) January 8, 2025

The Los Angeles Times did not endorse a 2024 presidential candidate for the first time in two decades at the direction of Soon-Shiong, according to Semafor.

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