An encounter between Northern Ireland-born journalist David Blevins and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has gone viral online, with video footage of the incident racking up millions of views.
The clip shows the politician refusing to answer the Blevins’ questioning regarding the tragic wildfires currently sweeping the US city.
Mayor Bass was returning home to the airport on Wednesday from a trip to Ghana with an assistant, when she was cornered by the Sky News senior Ireland correspondent.
She had been out of the country attending Ghana’s presidential inauguration on behalf of the Biden administration.
Bass immediately indicated that she was not going to answer the veteran reporter’s questions and turned away.
Blevins then asked her a series of questions, but she remained stone-faced throughout.
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The broadcaster queried: “Fire chiefs say that they’re really stretched to the limit and running out of water, what have you got to say to that? Have you no response to that?
“Do you owe your citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning?
“Do you regret cutting the fire department by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor? Have you nothing to say today?’
Bass tried to cut the LA Fire Department’s budget by some $23million in 2024 but settled for $17.6m in cuts.
“Elon Musk says that you’re utterly incompetent, are you considering your position? Have you absolutely nothing to say to citizens who are dealing with this disaster? No apologies for them?
“Do you think you should’ve been visiting Ghana while this was unfolding back home?’
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In the clip, which has since been seen widely since Blevins shared it on his own platforms, he then follows Bass out of a corridor at the airport before demanding she give a statement to the citizens of her city. Again, she ignores him.
In a separate statement, the LA Mayor has said: “To the thousands of families impacted by this horrific fire — the City of Los Angeles is providing resources and shelter as this emergency continues. To the hundreds of brave firefighters and first responders who have been responding all day to this blaze — we thank you. The City is working aggressively to confront this emergency.”
Locals within Northern Ireland have been sharing their own opinions of the incident online, with one user on the anonymous blogging website Reddit posting: “Not sure American politicians are ready for NI journalists.”
Multiple wildfires have been ripping through the Los Angeles area this week, all beginning with one on Monday that started in a nature reserve.
Thousands of people have had to since evacuate from the suburbs as the flames have since spread into the city.
Governor of California Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, and the LA Fire Department has appealed to off-duty firefighters to help battle the blazes.
The homes of A-list stars including Paris Hilton, Tom Hanks and his wife Rita, Reese Witherspoon and Anthony Hopkins have all been affected by the blaze.
It comes as at least five wildfires are continuing to rage in the city — with the two largest covering 27,000 acres.
State of emergency declared amid Los Angeles wildfires