Spencer Pratt Taunts Karen Bass As Election Results Trickle In
California’s election results are still coming in from the June 2 primary.
Making matters even more worrisome, Democratic leaders in the state claim it could take weeks to count all the ballots.
But in the Los Angeles mayoral contest, incumbent Democrat Karen Bass didn’t crack the 51% needed to win outright, setting up a runoff in November.
More importantly, there is a battle between Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV personality and Republican, and Nithya Raman, a City Council member and Democrat.
Pratt is projecting confidence that he will beat Raman to make the runoff against Bass — but he’s also confident Bass will be an easy opponent.
“Are you going to debate Karen Bass again?” a reporter asked Pratt. “And what do you want to tell her if she sees this?”
“You know, I loved debating her on NBC. I look forward to a couple more on NBC and Fox. We can do debates every Friday if she would like because this actually became my most favorite thing to do,” Pratt responded.
“I hope she’s ready, because I literally could not be more excited,” he added.
“It is usually a good thing for a politician, Dave, to debate the dumbest people around them. So I think Spencer Pratt is in a good position here,” Stu says.
“It has helped a lot of people in the past. So I think it’s a very good idea,” co-host Dave Landau agrees, though he adds, “unfortunately, in California, I’m not sure if it’s going to help.”
“Yeah, it’s still going to be tough in Los Angeles for Spencer Pratt to win because when you have a situation where it’s two Democrats and one Republican, their votes get kind of split up,” Stu says.
“When you go the opposite way, and you have one Republican versus one Democrat, it’s very difficult to win in a city like this, especially in an election time that’s probably going to be pretty difficult for Republicans generally,” he continues.
“Pratt though is looking at this positively, Dave. He’s trying to take a positive spin on what is to come here in the next few months,” he adds.
In an interview following the latest election results, Pratt exclaimed that “obviously God wanted five more months” of him “exposing all the failures of our mayor.”
“So it’s going to be a fun ride. I hope she’s ready,” he said, adding that he was “born for this.”
Pratt finished Election Night with 30.4 percent of the vote.
Pratt is well ahead of progressive City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who trailed at 22.3 percent.
Yet despite an eight-point gap and hundreds of thousands of ballots already counted, officials and media outlets continue describing the race as too close to call.
As additional ballots have been processed, Pratt’s lead has narrowed somewhat, though he remains comfortably ahead.
The latest vote update shows Pratt at 29.4 percent compared to Raman’s 23.4 percent, leaving him with a six-point advantage.
Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass remains in first place with roughly 35 percent of the vote and is all but certain to advance to the November runoff.
The battle now centers on whether Raman can somehow erase Pratt’s substantial lead and capture the second runoff spot.
Election officials say hundreds of thousands of ballots may still remain uncounted. Based on historical voting patterns, many analysts expect those ballots to lean more Democratic than the votes counted thus far.
That possibility has fueled speculation that Raman could eventually catch Pratt.
But even supporters of that theory acknowledge there is no guarantee current trends will continue.
What is clear is that vote counting is expected to continue for days.
Additional ballot reports are scheduled daily through at least June 12, while ballots postmarked by Election Day can still be accepted if they arrive by June 9.
💥 PRESS DEBUT DISASTER!
Katie Zacharia’s Awkward First White House Press Briefing Draws National Attention
Katie Zacharia’s first appearance behind the White House podium quickly became a major talking point after several uncomfortable moments overshadowed her debut as President Donald Trump’s new press secretary.
The October 13 briefing lasted approximately 14 minutes, with Zacharia answering questions from only three news outlets before ending the session. Her short appearance immediately attracted widespread media attention.
Zacharia had recently been selected to replace former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, stepping into a highly visible role responsible for communicating the administration’s positions to journalists and the American public.
From the opening minutes, observers noticed her reliance on prepared notes. She delivered a lengthy account of Trump’s accomplishments, frequently looking down at the script instead of maintaining eye contact with reporters.
Her delivery also attracted criticism, with commentators describing her voice as hesitant and her presentation as unusually stiff. Others questioned whether the administration had given its newest spokesperson enough preparation time.
Much of the briefing focused on praising Trump’s economic agenda, energy policies, rally attendance, and political achievements. The extended list of talking points left relatively little time for substantive exchanges with journalists.
One particularly awkward moment occurred when Zacharia discussed the challenge of balancing her demanding position with family life. She explained that spending evenings away from her four children was unacceptable to her.
She then accidentally referred to her husband as “my president” before immediately correcting herself with “my husband.” Recognizing the slip, she added a brief joke, creating the briefing’s most widely discussed moment.
The verbal mix-up spread rapidly through news coverage and social media, becoming a defining image of her first appearance. Critics treated it as evidence of nervousness, while others viewed it as an ordinary human mistake.
Her response to a question about U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine also drew attention. When asked whether Washington had stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv, Zacharia replied that she would have to get back to the reporter.
The exchange was brief, but it highlighted the difficulty of responding to sensitive foreign policy questions without immediately having the necessary information. Reporters continued seeking answers as the briefing moved forward.
Another significant announcement concerned Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece. Zacharia told reporters that the administration had asked Guilfoyle to resign, unexpectedly introducing a personnel development into the short briefing.
The announcement generated additional headlines and demonstrated that, despite the awkward delivery, Zacharia’s first appearance included consequential political news. Her handling of the announcement, however, also attracted scrutiny from commentators.
Questions about her readiness soon emerged among political observers and some administration allies. The Wall Street Journal described the debut as rocky, reporting that her nervous presentation prompted questions about the decision to put her before cameras so quickly.
The brief question-and-answer session was another unusual feature. After taking questions from Breitbart News, Fox News, and the Daily Mail, Zacharia announced that reporters could ask Trump questions directly as he prepared to leave.
Her decision to end the briefing after such limited questioning became another focus of criticism. Regular White House briefings often involve extended exchanges, making the short session particularly noticeable to journalists and political commentators.
Despite the criticism, Trump publicly defended his new press secretary. Asked about her performance, the president said he thought she had done very well, offering a clear show of support following the difficult debut.
The White House also presented the briefing positively, describing Zacharia’s performance as commanding. That assessment contrasted with critical media coverage, illustrating how differently supporters and detractors interpreted the same appearance.
Zacharia’s debut has therefore become an early test of her ability to manage a demanding communications role. Future briefings will offer a clearer indication of whether she can develop greater confidence and handle sustained questioning.
For now, the accidental “my president” remark remains the most memorable moment from her first appearance. Whether the incident becomes a brief viral embarrassment or a lasting political talking point will depend on what follows.
