The panelists of ABC’s The View have strongly criticized Spencer Pratt’s bid to become the mayor of Los Angeles, arguing that he lacks the necessary political experience to govern the nation’s second-largest city. They also took issue with his use of artificial intelligence in campaign videos.
This backlash occurs as Pratt’s unconventional campaign gains traction online. Meanwhile, current mayor Karen Bass faces increasing scrutiny, particularly concerning her administration’s response to the devastating wildfires in January.
Whoopi Goldberg, the show’s moderator, expressed her discomfort with the AI-generated video associated with Pratt’s campaign, asserting that mere celebrity status should not be a sufficient qualification for holding public office.
“I’m open to anyone who truly understands how to run a city,” Goldberg remarked. “But if you’re just going to mimic the current leadership, no thank you.”
“Just because someone is famous or well-known for something doesn’t mean they understand what’s happening in the community or how people are feeling,” she added.
Pratt is polling at 22% while Bass has maintained a lead of 30% with lefty Nithya Raman just behind him at 19%, according to a May Emerson poll.
Co-host Sara Haines took a more sympathetic tone toward Pratt’s candidacy, saying she appreciated that he became politically engaged after being personally impacted by the California wildfires.
“What I liked about Spencer Pratt throwing his hat in there is he was affected by the California wildfires and he decided, ‘I’m going to do something about it,’” Haines said.
Still, Haines said the AI-generated campaign imagery raised serious concerns, particularly because it allegedly featured celebrities who did not consent to their likenesses being used.
“Our brains aren’t designed to say, ‘Oh, that’s not really Hugh Jackman saying these things,’” she said. There is no record of actor Hugh Jackman, who appears in one AI video, endorsing Pratt.
Pratt entered the race after losing his own home in the deadly Palisades fires, citing the lack of response and recovery efforts by the Karen administration. He has made this the forefront of his campaign.
Conservative co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said she believed there was “a path” for Pratt politically, especially given voter frustration following the wildfire crisis, but argued the use of AI in campaigns could easily mislead voters.
“I think introducing A.I. into campaigns in general is super dangerous,” Griffin said. “I think it can be incredibly misleading. It makes people think there’s endorsements that aren’t taking place.”
The Hollywood blockbuster-inspired video created by a Pratt supporter — not by his official campaign — is drawing attention as the Los Angeles mayoral candidate gains momentum just weeks before the election.
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 Joker.
Griffin, who took issue with such portrayal, also warned that governing Los Angeles would require far more than social media popularity.
“Getting elected is the easy part of the job,” she said. “Governing three million people in Los Angeles — and fixing what is a broken system — is what’s hard.”
Goldberg quickly interjected: “Yeah, you actually have to know what you’re doing.”
Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States by population, with more than 3.8 million residents. The mayor’s office operates on a budget of more than $14 billion and is consistently at the center of national and international attention, especially with the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics coming to the city.
Co-host Joy Behar strongly defended Bass while mocking Pratt’s entertainment background.
“So, Karen Bass has a JFK Profile in Courage Award,” Behar said. “She navigated California through the worst economic crisis since the Depression. Spencer Pratt was snapchatter of the year.”
The comment drew laughter from the studio audience.
Meanwhile, co-host Sunny Hostin argued Pratt lacked the qualifications needed to oversee Los Angeles’ nearly $15 billion city budget.
“We’re talking about a $14.9 billion budget for the city,” Hostin said. “It’s the second largest city budget in the country, and he is not qualified for it.”
Hostin pointed to figures including Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger as examples of entertainers who transitioned into politics, but noted both had prior governing or leadership experience before holding top office.
She also rejected Pratt comparing his background to that of former President Barack Obama.
“You don’t have the same experience,” Hostin said. “You don’t have a law degree from Harvard Law School. You were not a senator.”
Instead, Hostin suggested Pratt should consider running for city council first to gain governing experience before seeking the mayor’s office.
Karen Bass responded to the video during an interview with CNN, saying, “When you do that, and when your messages are so hateful and when you demonize people, then you do provoke people who are unstable, and you can jeopardize people’s safety.”
Pratt, who rose to fame on MTV’s The Hills alongside wife Heidi Montag, has increasingly leaned into political commentary and viral online activism following the Southern California wildfires.
His mayoral bid has drawn both support and ridicule online, with critics questioning whether celebrity-driven campaigns and AI-generated political content could further blur the line between entertainment and governance.