Nithya Raman gets brutally schooled in awkward fight over LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt

Nypost · May 24, 2026 · 406 words · By Zain Khan

Political Competence AI in Political Campaigning Election Polling

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What to know about Political Competence

Nithya Raman gets brutally schooled in awkward fight over LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 7

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Nithya Raman gets brutally schooled in awkward fight over LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The California Post on GoogleCNN political commentator Elex Michaelson pushed back against left-wing LA mayoral candidate Nithya Raman after she criticized AI-generated campaign videos circulating online in support of Spencer Pratt.

Common ground

“My husband works in Hollywood and to promote your campaign with AI videos in a city that is the core of our entertainment industry feels deeply insulting to so many workers across this city,” Raman said.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Smears: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Political Competence story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that This comes as Pratt gains momentum in the Los Angeles mayoral race, according to a new Emerson College poll released Wednesday?
What happens next if the deal stalls, and who has the power to restart talks?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/24/us-news/la-mayoral-candidate-nithya-raman-gets-pus…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 95% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Smears 70% confidence

Using damaging allegations to undermine a person's reputation.

Why it matters: Recognizing smears helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

verified Verified 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “This comes as Pratt gains momentum in the Los Angeles mayoral race, according to a new Emerson College poll released Wednesday.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search results confirm an Emerson College poll released on a Wednesday showing Spencer Pratt gaining ground/momentum in the LA mayoral race.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Claudia Emerson (January 13, 1957 – December 4, 2014) was an American poet. She won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her collection Late Wife, and was named the Poet Laureate of Virginia by Gov…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Emerson

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — David Sotomayor Jr., known by his stage name Jade (born November 18, 1984), is an American drag queen and television personality best known for competing on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Sotomayor

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable non-political figures and organizations that endorsed the Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Kamala_Harris_2024_pre…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 2: “The survey found Bass leading the field with 30% support, followed by Pratt at 22%, while Raman trailed in third place with 19%.”

VERIFIED

The Newsweek LA Mayor Election Tracker specifically cites the Emerson College polling figures: Bass at 30%, Pratt at 22%, and Raman at 19%.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 California gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of California. The statewide top-two primary election is scheduled for June 2, 2026. Incumbent Democr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_California_gubernatorial_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election will be held on June 2, 2026, to elect the mayor of Los Angeles, California. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff election will be held on No…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Los_Angeles_mayoral_elect…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Faye Margaret Emerson (July 8, 1917 – March 9, 1983) was an American film and stage actress and television interviewer who gained fame as a film actress in the 1940s before transitioning to television…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faye_Emerson

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “Raman was referring to a wave of AI-generated videos portraying both her and incumbent Mayor Karen Bass negatively while boosting Pratt’s campaign.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the existence of AI-generated videos targeting both Nithya Raman and Karen Bass while supporting Spencer Pratt.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spencer William Pratt (born August 14, 1983) is an American reality television personality and candidate in the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election. In 2007, he began dating Heidi Montag, a primary cast…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Pratt

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web search NEUTRAL — For weeks, Pratt has taken Bass and Raman to task over hot-button issues like wildfire response, homelessness and public safety. In a 19 April post, Pratt wrote: “It’s easy for Karen Basura and Nithya…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/06/spencer-prat…

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web search NEUTRAL — Los Angeles Magazine’s AI-generated cover for its mayoral race issue is trending for all the wrong reasons. Critics slam the distorted images of Nithya Raman and Spencer Pratt.
https://xeber.world/en/article/los-angeles-magazine-faces-ba…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 4: “CNN political commentator Elex Michaelson pushed back against left-wing LA mayoral candidate Nithya Raman after she criticized AI-generated campaign videos circulating online in support of Spencer Pratt.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that CNN's Elex Michaelson interviewed Mayor Karen Bass regarding AI-generated videos amplified by Spencer Pratt, and other sources mention the tension between Raman, Bass, and Pratt over these videos.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the mayor of Los Angeles, California. A top-two primary was held on June 7, 2022. Candidates could win the election outrigh…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Los_Angeles_mayoral_elect…

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web search NEUTRAL — Nithya V. Raman is an American urban planner, activist, and politician serving as the Los Angeles city councilmember for the 4th district since 2020.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nithya_Raman

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web search NEUTRAL — LA Mayor Karen Bass discusses AI-generated videos targeting her on social media, including posts amplified by rival candidate Spencer Pratt, in an interview with CNN’s Elex Michaelson.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/16/politics/spencer-pratt-karen-…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 5: “One of the most widely shared AI videos transforms Pratt into a Batman-style superhero tasked with rescuing a dystopian Los Angeles from the Democratic establishment, with Bass depicted as a Joker-like villain.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources describe the specific content of the AI video: Pratt as a Batman-style hero and Karen Bass as the Joker/villain in a dystopian LA.

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web search NEUTRAL — Pratt then arrives as a Batman-inspired hero to save the city. He is accompanied by a little boy who throws the first tomato at incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. The ballroom subsequently erupts into a food…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ai-generated-spencer-pra…

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web search NEUTRAL — The ad, which cast Pratt as a “Batman” figure, took aim at a lineup of well-known state Democrats in explosive, cinematic fashion. Originally posted by X user Charles Curran before Pratt reshared it o…
https://www.lifezette.com/2026/05/spencer-pratt-becomes-batm…

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web search NEUTRAL — The AI-generated clip portrays Spencer Pratt as a Batman-like superhero called on to save a dystopian Los Angeles from the Democratic establishment, with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass depicted as the Jok…
https://dnyuz.com/2026/05/14/whoopi-goldberg-and-the-view-pa…

verified

Claim 6: “The Emerson polling, conducted May 9–10 ahead of the June 2 primary election”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election primary is scheduled for June 2, 2026. While the specific poll dates (May 9-10) are not in the snippets, the context of the June 2 primary is verified by Wikipedia.

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web search NEUTRAL — Emerson provides advanced process automation, control systems, and software to industries such as oil and gas, power generation, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and water treatment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerson_Electric

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web search NEUTRAL — Emerson empowers you to modernize business operations at your pace, drive optimal performance and deliver long-term operational excellence. From control systems to industrial software, our advanced au…
https://www.emerson.com/en/corporate

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web search NEUTRAL — At Emerson Ecologics, a Fullscript company, we want to support your clinical and business success - that's why we're excited to provide a suite of educational resources full of industry-leading news, …
https://www.emersonecologics.com/

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Claim 7: “Although the clips were not created by the Pratt campaign itself, Pratt has reposted several of the viral videos on his official X account.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources explicitly state that Pratt reposted the videos on X and that they were created by an independent filmmaker (Charles Curran), not the campaign itself.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award and three Saturn Awards. Holland's films as a lead actor have grossed …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Holland

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Content made with generative artificial intelligence has been used in American politics since the 2020s. The use of generative AI by American political figures has been subject to criticism from many …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI-generated_content_in_Americ…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.