Donald Trump’s endorsement of Spencer Pratt in the Los Angeles mayoral race is being viewed by analysts as a potential hindrance in the deep-blue city, where the president is deeply unpopular. Pratt, a reality TV star best known for appearing on The Hills, is polling second in the contest to lead America’s second-largest city, behind incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.
Trump praised Pratt this week, calling him a “big Maga person”. However, Pratt has distanced himself from the label, saying his campaign focuses on local issues such as infrastructure, emergency services and recovery from last year’s wildfires, which destroyed his home. “That has nothing to do with national politics or who is in the White House,” he said.
Political experts argue that Trump’s support could be a “poison pill” in a liberal stronghold where the president is highly unpopular. Zev Yaroslavsky, a former local politician and director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA, noted that “the most unpopular person in Los Angeles is Donald Trump”, adding that Pratt’s association with Trump is a vulnerability.
Both Bass and rival candidate Nithya Raman have seized on Trump’s comments. Bass warned that “both Trump and Pratt want ICE to invade our city”, while Raman accused Trump of seeking a “foothold” in the progressive city. Pratt has previously registered as a Republican due to support for gun rights but insists the mayoral race is nonpartisan.
With the primary weeks away, Pratt faces an uphill battle to win over sceptical voters in a city that has long been a Democratic bastion. His success will depend on whether he can harness frustration over quality-of-life issues without being tied to national Republican politics.
