Spencer Pratt blasts Karen Bass and Gavin Newsom as ‘alleged criminal partners’ complicit in 12 deaths from Palisades fire

Nypost · 🇺🇸 public United States · May 30, 2026 · 513 words · By Titus Wu

Government Negligence Homelessness Crisis Political accountability

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What to know about Government Negligence

Spencer Pratt blasts Karen Bass and Gavin Newsom as ‘alleged criminal partners’ complicit in 12 deaths from Palisades fire See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 4

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left17%

Center66%

Right17%

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

What happened

Spencer Pratt blasts Karen Bass and Gavin Newsom as ‘alleged criminal partners’ complicit in 12 deaths from Palisades fire See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The California Post on GoogleSpencer Pratt made furious accusations against California Gov.

Common ground

Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass over their handling of last year’s devastating wildfires and the state’s homelessness crisis.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Doubt: 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 Government Negligence story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Bass promoted in March a report that showed a decrease in homeless mortality for the first time in a decade?
How does this story connect Government Negligence with Homelessness Crisis over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/30/us-news/spencer-pratt-blasts-karen-bass-and-gavin-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 90% 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 90% 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.

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Doubt 85% confidence

Questioning the credibility of a source or claim without providing evidence.

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

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole 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 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 3

cancel Disputed 1

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Claim 1: “Bass promoted in March a report that showed a decrease in homeless mortality for the first time in a decade.”

CORROBORATED

Both a news report and an official statement from Mayor Bass confirm she promoted a report from the LA County Department of Public Health showing a decrease in homeless mortality for the first time in a decade.

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web search NEUTRAL — LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass today issued the following statement regarding the LA County Department of Public Health’s report showing a decrease in homeless mortality for the first time in a decade
https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/mayor-bass-issues-statement-re…

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web search NEUTRAL — The following day, she was ceremonially sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris at a public inauguration event.[6] She officially assumed office on December 12.[6] Bass is the first woman and the sec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Bass

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web search NEUTRAL — Newsom has highlighted stats that claim a 9% drop in unsheltered homeless individuals last year, while Bass promoted in March a report that showed a decrease in homeless mortality for the first time i…
https://nypost.com/2026/05/30/us-news/spencer-pratt-blasts-k…

info

Claim 2: “Newsom has highlighted stats that claim a 9% drop in unsheltered homeless individuals last year”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is mentioned in a report describing Pratt's accusations, but no independent statistical report or official government source was provided to verify the 9% drop figure.

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web search NEUTRAL — We can use there at the start of a clause as a type of indefinite subject. This means that we can put the actual subject at the end of the clause and so give it emphasis or focus (underlined below): …
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/there

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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 17, 2022 · In this article, we’ll explain the meanings of their, there, and they’re, how to use each word correctly, and provide example sentences for each term. We’ll also give some tips on how t…
https://www.dictionary.com/articles/their-vs-there-vs-theyre

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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Note: Do not confuse there, which has meanings that mostly relate to a literal or abstract location, with the words their and they're. Their has to do with what belongs to or is associate…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/there

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Claim 3: “Spencer Pratt made furious accusations against California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass over their handling of last year’s devastating wildfires and the state’s homelessness crisis.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm Spencer Pratt made accusations against Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass regarding the Palisades Fire and homelessness, including reports of Bass accusing Pratt of 'exploiting' the grief.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An election will be held in the U.S. state of California on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of California. The statewide top-two primary election was held on June 2, 2026, with Democrat X…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_California_gubernatorial_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election will be held on November 3, 2026 to elect the mayor of Los Angeles, California. A nonpartisan top-two primary was held on June 2, 2026. Incumbent mayor Karen Bass…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Los_Angeles_mayoral_elect…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spencer William Pratt (born August 14, 1983) is an American reality television personality. In 2007, he began dating Heidi Montag, a primary cast member of the reality television series The Hills and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Pratt

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 4: “a report that said the city spent $418 million on homelessness in 2025 with just 10% of that going toward getting people permanently off the streets.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided web search results for this claim returned information about Colorado Springs, which is irrelevant to the claim about Los Angeles spending on homelessness in 2025.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — It is the principal city of the Colorado Springs metropolitan area, which had 755,105 residents in 2020, and the second-most prominent city of the Front Range Urban Corridor. It is located in east-cen…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Springs,_Colorado

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web search NEUTRAL — Colorado Springs will be a safe, economically prosperous, culturally rich, welcoming, and vibrant world-class American City on a hill that shines brightly.
https://coloradosprings.gov/

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web search NEUTRAL — Welcome to Old Colorado City and the westside area of Colorado Springs. Locals say "Westside is the best side" for a reason! This charming area has robust arts and culture offerings, top-tier shopping…
https://www.visitcos.com/areas/old-colorado-city/

info

Claim 5: ““Not only did they work together in their negligence in burning down 7,000 houses and 12 people alive, but they’re both complicit in laundering $24 billion to actually increase homelessness,” Pratt said”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the evidence confirms Pratt made accusations, there is no independent evidence or authoritative source verifying the claim that Newsom and Bass laundered $24 billion. This appears to be an allegation made by Pratt alone.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Karen Ruth Bass (; born October 3, 1953) is an American politician who has served as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Bass previously served in the U.S. Hous…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Bass

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “His own home was burned down, a fact he often runs on in his campaign.”

CORROBORATED

Five independent cross-references, including the New York Post and Denver7, confirm that Spencer Pratt's home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Spencer Pratt lost his home in the Palisades Fire.
https://www.denver7.com/politics/elections/former-mtv-star-s…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Pratt entered the race after his own home burned down in the Palisades Fire
https://nypost.com/2026/05/20/us-news/la-mayor-karen-bass-of…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Pratt, whose own home was burned down in the Palisades Fire
https://nypost.com/2026/05/18/us-news/google-maps-scrubs-ima…

+ 2 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: ““Not only did they work together in their negligence in burning down 7,000 houses and 12 people alive, but they’re both complicit in laundering $24 billion to actually increase homelessness,” Pratt said”

DISPUTED

The claim that 7,000 houses were burned down is contradicted by specific data from Climate Resolve, which states 4,265 homes were destroyed by the Pacific Palisades Fire.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside region of the city of Los Angeles, California, situated about 20 miles (32 km) west of downtown. It was founded in 1921 by a Methodist organization,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Palisades,_Los_Angeles

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a row of closely placed, high vertical standing tree trunks or wooden or iron stakes used as a fence for enclosure or as a defensive …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palisade

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Palisades Fire was a highly destructive wildfire that began in the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles County on January 7, 2025, and grew to destroy large areas of Pacific Palisades, Topanga, a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palisades_Fire

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “the city’s much-criticized response to the wildfires — where even Bass admitted was “botched””

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Mayor Karen Bass admitted in a podcast interview that the response to the fires was 'botched'.

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web search NEUTRAL — Embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass admitted she “botched” the response to the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires in an on-camera podcast interview – but her team later demanded that the confess…
https://www.aol.com/news/karen-bass-admits-botched-response-…

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web search NEUTRAL — LA Mayor Bass points fingers when grilled on Africa trip amid botched wildfire response.LA Mayor Karen Bass appears to pin blame on team for allowing her to go to Ghana amid deadly fires.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/la-mayor-bass-points-finger…

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web search NEUTRAL — Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass have mostly stood by their decisions, both past and present. Unfortunately for Karen, though, what she said in a podcast taped in November is going to haunt them b…
https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2025/12/17/la-mayor-karen-bass-…

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Claim 9: “Pratt... claimed the two Democrats are “alleged criminal partners” in the Palisades fire that killed 12.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources, including Good Morning America and KFI AM 640, explicitly state that the Palisades Fire resulted in 12 deaths.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Palisades Charter High School (usually colloquially known as Pali or Pali High and abbreviated as PCHS) is an independent charter secondary school in Los Angeles, United States. The high school serves…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palisades_Charter_High_School

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+ 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.