Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt is not backing down after taking aim at CBS News for what he describes [1] as a deliberate smear campaign.
The former television star turned political candidate torched the network in a Friday post on X, accusing CBS of caving to political pressure from Mayor Karen Bass’ team after fact checking her debate comments on the Palisades wildfire.
Pratt said CBS spent over an hour filming him at the burned remains of his property, yet published only a handful of minutes that were padded with decades old “The Hills” clips and convenient mockery.
The short final product, he claimed, was transformed into a “comedy skit” meant to distract voters from Bass’ failures and his growing support base.
In his online statement, Pratt did not mince words.
“They can’t beat my ideas, they can’t beat me in the debates, so they gotta try to turn my campaign into a sideshow,” he said.
“People are done with these skeezy political tricks, and I’m done with CBS. They’ll never get a word from me for my next 8 years as mayor. Adios!”
After CBS embarrassed Karen Bass by fact-checking her debate lies about the Palisades Fire, they clearly got the call. CBS filmed with me on my burned out lot for over an hour, and they turned it over to Karen Bass’ PR team to edit it into a comical 5 minute hit piece with clips…
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) May 9, 2026 [2]
That last line instantly went viral among voters frustrated with corporate media bias.
The controversy began after Pratt confronted Bass in a recent debate, accusing her administration of botching the Palisades wildfire response.
He also blasted her handling of Los Angeles’ skyrocketing homelessness crisis, calling the city’s current policies “a complete humanitarian and fiscal disaster.”
According to Pratt, CBS “fact checked” Bass during that debate and reportedly embarrassed the mayor with their on-air corrections.
But when CBS shifted its spotlight to Pratt days later, the tone changed dramatically.
Correspondent Adam Yamaguchi’s segment on “CBS Mornings” framed Pratt as an unserious contender who still carried the baggage of reality TV.
Yamaguchi spent most of his on-air time highlighting Pratt’s celebrity past instead of his campaign platform addressing crime, addiction, and economic decay in Los Angeles.
“Why should voters believe that you, who don’t have any experience in [the political] realm, can actually be the solution?” Yamaguchi asked in the clip.
Pratt’s response was measured but blunt: “I may not have the experience, but I have the common sense to say, ‘This is not working.’”
That simple statement struck a populist chord far beyond Hollywood.
CBS also leaned heavily on commentary from Politico’s California Bureau Chief Melanie Mason, who dismissed Pratt’s candidacy as “a hard road” because of his alignment with conservative ideas.
Mason said it would be difficult for a “novice politician” with ties to Trump and Republicans to gain traction in deep blue Los Angeles.
The framing left little doubt that legacy media intends to paint Pratt as an outsider who does not belong.
The network’s selective editing only deepened those suspicions.
Sources familiar with the shoot said the segment originally had meaningful exchanges about wildfire recovery, homelessness reform, and overregulation choking small businesses. Yet those moments never aired.
Instead, CBS decided to roll nostalgic clips of Pratt’s old MTV life beside images of a burned hillside, leaving viewers with more gossip than governance.
An individual connected to CBS later told media outlets that the “full video” would be released unaltered soon and that no outside parties were involved in editing.
Watch the full video below:
Still, critics argue the damage was done, reinforcing public distrust in old guard journalism.
Fox News Digital reached out to both CBS and Bass’ team, but neither side gave a definitive answer or clarification on what went into the final cut.
The PR battle quickly spilled beyond Los Angeles.
Podcasts and political influencers seized on Pratt’s defiant tone, contrasting his authenticity with what they called “robotic talking points” from career politicians.
Joe Rogan, who already signaled support for Pratt, described his campaign as “real, transparent, and overdue in a corrupt city.”
Whether voters view him as a serious reformer or a celebrity gimmick, Pratt’s anti-establishment crusade has clearly rattled California’s political hierarchy.
His promise of “zero encampments” and “no fentanyl on streets” resonates with everyday Angelenos who see the city spiraling under bureaucratic neglect.
If nothing else, Pratt’s feud with CBS exposes a larger crisis of confidence in the corporate media ecosystem.
Americans no longer trust that powerful networks will cover outsiders fairly, particularly those who challenge progressive rule in big cities.
Pratt might be a newcomer to politics, but he has tapped into the same raw populist frustration that has rocked elite institutions coast to coast.
Should he actually win the mayor’s seat, his vow to freeze out CBS for eight years would send a message well beyond Los Angeles.
It would mark an act of defiance against a national media class that has too long been insulated from accountability.
For frustrated voters who feel ignored by the political and media elite, that kind of grit might be exactly what they have been waiting for.