Nithya Raman faced renewed scrutiny Tuesday night over her promise to remove LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, but again stopped short of saying when she would act. Her hesitation drew a sharp rebuke from a senior ally of Mayor Karen Bass, who accused the City Council candidate of confusing voters.
When The California Post asked Raman directly for a timeline, she declined to provide one. She answered only two questions from reporters after the event, while Bass had City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez respond to questions on the mayor’s behalf.
Rodriguez quickly attacked Raman’s changing comments about McDonnell, as well as a social media video that was later deleted and depicted the police chief and mayor as “fascist liars.”
Asked about Raman’s assertion that removing McDonnell would require the cooperation of the Police Commission and City Council, Rodriguez dismissed the claim.
“That’s nonsense,” Rodriguez said. “It clearly means that she has no idea the power of the mayor’s office.”
Rodriguez pointed to what she described as conflicting statements from Raman: first pledging to replace the chief, then saying the move was not part of her first 100 days and noting that McDonnell’s term does not expire until 2030. “What is the answer?” she asked.
Rodriguez said Raman appeared to be tailoring her message to different audiences. “She’s intentionally, I believe, trying to mislead the public,” she said.
The confrontation unfolded inside NBC4’s Universal City studios, where Bass appeared composed as the mayoral candidates debated before a live audience.
Raman, consulting prepared notes, borrowed Ronald Reagan’s well-known question: “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” She argued that Bass had been “MIA” during Los Angeles’ most serious challenges and blamed her administration for ongoing problems involving homelessness, housing affordability and public safety.
The most pointed moment came when NBC4 political correspondent Conan Nolan cited Raman’s earlier comments to The California Post and pressed her for a definitive answer.
“For clarity, will you replace the chief before the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in LA?” Nolan asked.
Raman maintained that she wants McDonnell gone. “I wanna replace the police chief. I’ve been very open about that. I’ve been very clear about that,” she said. Raman added that she believes McDonnell “hasn’t met the moment” and has lost the confidence of Los Angeles residents, particularly over his response to ICE raids.
Even so, she would not commit to a specific deadline.
“It is not a unilateral decision by the mayor,” Raman said, referring to the roles of the Police Commission and City Council.
Nolan followed up, emphasizing the security demands surrounding the 2028 Games. “Will you replace the chief before 2028?” he asked.
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Raman again declined to promise a date, saying the decision would depend on “these other factors” and the involvement of “other decision-making bodies.”
Bass immediately challenged that explanation. “It is absolutely in the power of the mayor to fire the police chief,” she said, while warning that changing commanders before the Olympics could interfere with the LAPD’s preparations.
Bass also accused Raman of repeatedly changing her position. “The problem is that you have a tendency to take different positions on different days of the week,” she said.
Raman previously told The California Post that she would replace McDonnell if elected. During television interviews over the weekend, however, she emphasized that his term extends through 2030 and said removing him would not be part of her first 100-day agenda.
On Sunday, Raman also rejected speculation that she could appoint former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, whose controversial criminal justice policies played a central role in his defeat in the 2024 reelection race.
“No, no. I don’t know where the rumors are coming from. I don’t know him personally,” Raman said. She had already told The California Post she would not appoint Gascón as chief.
Muddying the waters further: a since-deleted video featuring Raman and left-wing influencer Ed Choi repeating the phrase “Only you can stop fascist liars.” The edited clip showed images of Bass and McDonnell — including a red X over the police chief.
Raman’s campaign reposted it before deleting it amid backlash.
Nolan also asked whether she had vetted the video. “As soon as we realized that it was a mis-edited video, we took it down,” Raman said.
She insisted she had been referring to ICE and the Trump administration. “I would never imply that this city is fascist or that this mayor is fascist or that our police chief is fascist,” Raman maintained.
Bass wasn’t buying it. “It made me wonder whether you understood what the word fascism meant, but it also just showed that you’re not ready for prime time,” the mayor blasted.
The candidates also clashed over homelessness, with Bass accusing Raman of approving spending on her signature Inside Safe program while criticizing its cost.
“If you cannot manage the work of your committee, how on earth are you going to manage the second-largest city in the country?” Bass said.
Raman accused Bass of resorting to personal attacks to distract voters from her record on homelessness and the city’s affordability crisis.
The election is Nov. 3, three weeks away.
