LAPD Chief Slams Mayoral Candidate Nithya Raman Over "Fascist Liar" Video
Police Chief Jim McDonnell calls campaign ad 'disappointing' and 'dangerous' after it targeted him and accused the LAPD of protecting ICE.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell has publicly rebuked mayoral candidate Nithya Raman following her appearance in a deleted social media video that branded him a "fascist liar" and crossed out his face with a red X. McDonnell described Raman's rhetoric as "disappointing" and "dangerous."
"I saw that, and I was disappointed that she would be associated with anything like that," McDonnell told NBC Los Angeles. He noted that 52 LAPD officers were injured during immigration protests in June 2025, with some suffering hearing damage and concussions. He stated officers were attacked with commercial-grade fireworks, Molotov cocktails, and all-terrain vehicles, calling their discipline under such circumstances "amazing."
The video in question featured Raman alongside influencer Ed Choi. At the start, both are heard saying, "Only you can stop fascist liars," with images of Mayor Karen Bass appearing. McDonnell's face was later shown with a red X superimposed. Choi accused Los Angeles of becoming "extremely fascist" due to Mayor Bass's appointment of McDonnell as police chief.
Raman, a city councilmember, responded in the video by accusing the LAPD of protecting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents over residents and pledged to replace McDonnell if elected mayor. An LAPD member, speaking anonymously to The Post, called the video "extremely dangerous" for effectively making the chief a target.
Raman's campaign later issued a statement to The Post, asserting that the "fascist liars" remark was directed at ICE and the Trump administration, not at McDonnell, Bass, or LAPD officers. The campaign clarified that the video was edited by its creator to include Mayor Bass's image during that moment, but Raman herself never used the phrase to describe the chief or officers.
McDonnell's criticism comes amid an increasingly heated mayoral race where public safety and the role of law enforcement have become central themes. The chief's direct engagement with a candidate's campaign material marks a significant intervention in the political discourse.