Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has come under fire for her recent trip to Africa, while her city was being ravaged by wildfires.
Her absence was noted by many in the media, but Hollywood celebrities, who are often quick to criticize conservative politicians, were conspicuously silent as they evacuated their homes due to the encroaching flames. This stark contrast in their reaction was evident when compared to their response to Senator Ted Cruz's trip to Cancun during a major power outage in Texas in 2021. While LA was ablaze, Mayor Bass was in Ghana attending the presidential inauguration of John Dramani Mahama.
As reported by The Post Millennial, Daniel Turner of Power the Future highlighted this discrepancy on Human Events Daily. He pointed out the media's harsh criticism of Cruz, who, despite having no control over Texas's power grid, was lambasted for his trip during the power outage. Variety, in February 2021, wrote, "In the midst of the crisis, Cruz, who led the effort last month to decertify the Electoral College vote, was seen on a plane headed to Cancn for a family vacation." NBC labeled Cruz's trip as a "leadership failure," and The New York Times described it as a "political blunder."
Prominent Hollywood figures, including Kathy Griffin, Seth Rogan, Patton Oswalt, Padma Lakshmi, and Mark Hamill, were among those who publicly criticized Cruz's actions. Hamill even referenced the Cancun trip years later while advocating for Cruz's Democratic opponent in Texas. He tweeted, "You don't have to be a Texan to be embarrassed by #CancunCruz." However, as wildfires threatened his own neighborhood, forcing him to evacuate, Hamill made no mention of Mayor Bass's absence.
Griffin expressed her outrage at Cruz's actions, tweeting, "You guys. Its starting to look like Ted Cruz did fly to sunny Cancun TODAY. The fiery anger coursing through my veins right now could heat up all of Texas." Cruz defended his actions, stating, "Like millions of Texans, our family lost heat and power too. With school canceled for the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends. Wanting to be a good dad, I flew with them last night and am flying back this afternoon."
However, the same celebrities who were quick to condemn Cruz remained silent about Mayor Bass's absence during the LA wildfires. Upon her return to California, Bass avoided answering questions about her absence during the crisis. When asked, "Madam Mayor, have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today who are dealing with this disaster?" Bass chose not to respond. This incident raises questions about the double standards in the media and Hollywood's selective outrage, which seems to be more focused on political affiliation than on the actions of the politicians themselves.
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