Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman is facing criticism over a social media interview with influencer Ed Choi in which she appears to describe LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell as a “fascist liar,” while an edited clip displays a red X over his face.
The interview with prominent left-wing influencer Choi begins with images of Mayor Karen Bass and McDonnell as Raman says: “Only you can stop fascist liars.”
McDonnell, whom Raman has pledged to fire if she wins the mayoral election, is shown with a large red X across his face in the video. The police union called the imagery a “dangerous dog whistle.”
Raman also promises during the interview to replace McDonnell if elected mayor.
The clip was recorded Sunday at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, where Raman took part in an interview connected to her speech outlining her first 100 days in office. The video has since been removed from social media.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents rank-and-file LAPD officers, condemned the imagery as dangerous.
“Nithya Raman’s social media post that circles Chief McDonnell’s face in red and then crosses out his face is no joke; in fact, it is dangerous,” the union’s Board of Directors told the California Post.
“The violent political rhetoric that has overtaken our public discourse has, in many instances, led to violence.
“Raman’s social media post can be seen as a dog whistle by unhinged individuals to go after Chief McDonnell.”
The union said both McDonnell and Bass have security details because they face threats. It argued that Raman had “amplified those threats” and may have put the officers assigned to protect them at greater risk.
“It also underscores why she has no business leading Los Angeles,” the board said.
The video also raised concerns among rank-and-file LAPD officers.
An LAPD officer told The Post that placing a red X over McDonnell’s face effectively turned the chief into a target and described the video as “extremely dangerous.”
The officer questioned Raman’s judgment, arguing that if she failed to understand the danger of singling out Los Angeles’ police chief with such imagery, she “shouldn’t be mayor.”
Raman’s campaign, however, blamed the video’s creator for the editing and insisted that Raman never called Bass, McDonnell or LAPD officers “fascist liars.”
“Nithya was interviewed by several social media creators on Sunday,” the campaign told The Post. “In one interview, the creator asked her to repeat his phrase, ‘only you can stop fascist liars,’ which she said in reference to ICE and the Trump administration’s violent kidnappings that continue in our city today.”
The campaign said the video was subsequently edited to show Bass during that section of the interview.
“Nithya never used that phrase to describe Mayor Bass, Chief McDonnell or LAPD officers, which is why we removed ourselves from the post and asked the creator to take it down immediately,” the campaign said.
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During the interview, however, Choi directly refers to both Bass and McDonnell while questioning Raman.
“Los Angeles has become extremely fascist, especially because Karen Bass appointed Jim McDonnell as the chief of police,” Choi tells her.
He then asks: “I wanted to know, especially for the immigrant community that’s watching, what is your plan to de-fascicize this city?”
Raman responds by saying LAPD protects federal immigration agents and calling for a shake-up at the top of the department.
“I think there’s a lot that we can do to make sure our LAPD is actually protecting people instead of protecting ICE on our streets, as we saw happen,” Raman says.
“I think that starts with a culture shift from the very top and new leadership in the department.”
Raman then singles out McDonnell.
“I don’t believe that Chief McDonnell has met this moment,” she says. “And I will make sure that we are appointing a police chief who can really respond to the needs that immigrant Angelenos have and that every resident of Los Angeles has.”
The video closes with Choi and Raman repeating: “Only you can stop fascist liars.”
Bass also blasted the video Tuesday, calling the rhetoric “dangerous and extreme.”
“Labeling them [police] ‘fascists,’ when officers put on the uniform every day to keep us safe — is crossing the line,” Bass said. “It has no place in this city — let alone from someone trying to become mayor.”
The video was later deleted, but not before members of The California Post viewed it and multiple groups captured and preserved copies.
The video surfaced the same day The Post exclusively revealed that Raman spent roughly three hours at a staff happy hour at The Black Cat in Silver Lake on June 6, 2025, as federal immigration raids and protests erupted across Los Angeles.
Photos obtained by The Post showed Raman raising a drink and toasting with members of her team.
Raman had appeared at an anti-ICE protest earlier that day, where she was photographed holding a sign. Her campaign told The Post she spent about 90 minutes at the protest before heading to the staff gathering.
Sixteen months later, Raman is making the city’s response to those raids a centerpiece of her campaign against Bass.
Raman previously voted to confirm McDonnell after Bass nominated him as LAPD chief in 2024