Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass previously told the New York Times in 2021 that she does not plan to travel internationally when elected mayor of the city, the newspaper reported Sunday.
Bass said in 2021 that if she wins reelection, “not only will I not be living here, but I won't be traveling internationally — the only places I'll be going are D.C., Sacramento, San Francisco and New York, as far as No.” The Times reported.
The mayor was traveling to Ghana when fires swept through Los Angeles last week, and upon her return, Bass ignored the questions Many journalists reported her absence.
Bass previously worked in Congress, specifically on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and spent several years working on US relations with Africa, according to the Times.
Rep. Karen Bass, candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, meets with several prominent supporters at Angel's Point in Elysian Park on May 27, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. ((Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images))
“This pledge has been spectacularly violated,” The Times reported.
Bass has traveled internationally four times since becoming mayor, once to Mexico and three times to Paris for the Olympics, the Times reported.
“Do you owe the citizens an apology for being absent while their homes burned? And do you regret cutting the fire department's budget by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor?” Sky News reporter David Blevins asked as Bass waited to get off the plane on Wednesday after her flight to Ghana.
“Don't you have anything to say to the citizens today?” He added.
Bass refused to acknowledge the reporter, and continued to ignore questions while looking at the ground.
“No apology to them? Do you think you should have visited Ghana while the matter was unfolding in your country?” He said.
“The Mayor is very focused on two things right now – keeping Angelenos safe and protecting property. She has secured the federal, state and local resources we need to continue fighting these fires and is moving forward with an all-of-the-above plan,” Bass spokesman Zach Seidel said in a statement provided to Fox. News Digital: “For recovery.”
Click here for more media and cultural coverage
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo unveil the 2024-25 fiscal budget at City Hall. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Bass was also called for a 2021 social media post criticizing Sen. Ted Cruz for staying away from his state while Texas was dealing with a winter storm.
Bass told reporters during a press conference on Wednesday that she was reaching out to people throughout her trip back to Los Angeles.
“I was on the phone, on the plane, almost every hour of the flight,” she said. “Even though I wasn't physically here, I was in contact with several individuals who were standing here the entire time. When my plane landed, I immediately went to the fire area and saw what happened in Pacific Palisades.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
