Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spent Tuesday in Africa as part of a taxpayer-funded delegation attending the inauguration of John Dramani Mahama as Ghana’s president. The Democrat was there as her city battled wildfires and thousands of residents fled for their lives.
CNS News reports Shalanda D. Young, the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, headed the delegation to Accra, Ghana’s capital.
It also consisted of Virginia E. Palmer, the U.S. ambassador to Ghana, and Frances Z. Brown, special assistant to the president and the National Security Council’s senior director for African affairs alongside Bass.
As Breitbart New reported, the absence of Karen Bass came as the fast-burning wildfire that broke out in the mountains above Pacific Palisades amid extreme high winds on Tuesday morning threatened homes and the local public school, which was evacuated.
Wildfires in Pacific Palisades Create Massive Cloud of Smoke as Homes Burn
California has deployed more than 1,400 firefighting personnel to combat the blazes.
Officials didn’t give an estimate of structures damaged or destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire, but they said about 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders and more than 13,000 structures were under threat.
Lifelong Democrat Bass was elected to office in 2022.
Plenty of social media users vented their frustration that Bass was abroad on “diplomatic duties” while L.A. residents fought for their very lives.
LA Mayor Karen Bass laughing it up in Ghana while her city burns pic.twitter.com/w0YUdGux6K
— Norman Chud (@diapertycoon) January 8, 2025
This is INSANE
— Ashley Hayek (@ashleyhayek) January 8, 2025
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is on a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa as part of a Biden administration presidential delegation WHILE HER CITY IS BURNING TO THE GROUNDhttps://t.co/yochqjL7AT pic.twitter.com/szvoLDYhPs
Out of touch Karen Bass is on a taxpayer funded trip to Africa while her city plunges into crisis
— KarenBassProgressReport (@KBassProgReport) January 8, 2025
This Career Politician is unfit to lead LA. She needs to be recalled.
LA mayor Karen Bass is responsible for cutting the fire department by $23 million and she’s currently in Ghana while LA burns down pic.twitter.com/xqO779qt2p
— Ida Tavakoli (@IdaTavakoli) January 8, 2025
Can someone explain to me why the mayor of Los Angeles is currently in Africa attending the inauguration of Ghana's president while her city is being evacuated? https://t.co/roXzcOp0Ss pic.twitter.com/O7hVEBqknQ
— captive dreamer (@captivedreamer7) January 8, 2025
California firefighters are prepared for the wildfire situation to worsen early Wednesday.
Flames were being pushed by Santa Ana winds topping 60 mph in some places.
The winds were expected to increase overnight, producing isolated gusts that could top 100 mph in mountains and foothills — including in areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months.