Spencer Pratt is trying to turn reality TV fame into a serious run for Los Angeles mayor, but the self-styled anti-Karen Bass crusader just reminded everyone this is still, in fact, Hollywood.
The Republican candidate, who’s built a surprising coalition of fed-up homeowners, anti-crime voters and MAGA-curious Angelenos, took a sharp detour from the Trump lane this week by declaring he wants federal immigration agents nowhere near the City of Angels.
“I’ve said a million times, I don’t want ICE here but I want to get the murderers and rapists out,” Pratt told Vanity Fair in a sprawling interview published Wednesday. “I’ve eaten more Mexican food than any white person in Los Angeles. I love Mexican people… I ate Mexican [food] three days a week for literally maybe 10 years.”
Well, case closed, apparently. Forget border policy — Pratt’s taco resume has entered the chat.
The former “The Hills” troublemaker has somehow transformed himself into a legitimate political headache for embattled Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, whose handling of the devastating Pacific Palisades fires left many residents furious after thousands of homes and structures were destroyed — including Pratt’s own house.
And unlike the usual celebrity vanity campaigns that flame out faster than a Malibu brushfire, Pratt’s run has actually gained traction. Polling reportedly has him sitting in second place ahead of the June 2 primary, where the top two finishers advance to the general election.
Pratt admitted his original motivation for running was less civic duty and more political vengeance.
He told Vanity Fair he initially entered the race to inflict as much “damage” as possible on Bass, whom he’s relentlessly mocked online with AI-generated attack videos portraying her as villains like Darth Vader and the Joker.
The bizarre-but-effective strategy has helped Pratt become a social media magnet in a city where politics increasingly operates like influencer warfare.
Even President Donald Trump has taken notice. “I’d like to see him do well,” Trump said recently. “I heard he’s a big MAGA person.”
That endorsement may help in parts of the country where immigration crackdowns are political gold — but Los Angeles isn’t exactly West Texas. Pratt appears to know that, which may explain why he’s trying to thread the needle between sounding tough on violent criminals while distancing himself from large-scale deportation sweeps.
Federal immigration raids in Los Angeles have sparked outrage from immigrant activists and progressive politicians, particularly operations targeting workers at businesses and day labor sites. Pratt made clear he’s not on board with those tactics, even while pushing for tougher anti-crime measures and a more aggressive response to homelessness.
In a city where Democrats dominate voter registration but public frustration over crime and dysfunction keeps boiling over, Pratt is betting there’s room for a weird hybrid candidate: part MAGA populist, part Hollywood libertarian, part meme warrior.
Because in modern Los Angeles politics, apparently the path to City Hall runs straight through reality television, AI attack ads — and all-you-can-eat carnitas.
