Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt responded to a potential endorsement by President Donald Trump in classic Pratt fashion: with a GIF of himself.
Rumors have been swirling in conservative circles that a bombshell endorsement by Trump could be coming for the reality TV firebrand, who has seen Republicans and others rally around him in the mayoral race against Democratic incumbent Karen Bass.
For another candidate, socialist city councilmember Nithya Raman, that endorsement seems to be an urgent issue.
“Donald Trump is about to endorse Spencer,” she said on social media Saturday night. “Tonight is the fundraising deadline, and we need to raise more to prove that LA doesn’t want a MAGA Republican mayor who lives in the Bel Air hotel.”
The last line is in reference to the fact that TMZ reported Pratt lived at the hotel, and not an airstream trailer like one of his campaign ads showed, after the Palisades fire burned down his home. Pratt has slammed that report for missing the point on why he needed a hotel in the first place.
Pratt responded to Raman’s fundraising message with a repeated loop of himself during a mayoral debate shaking his head and seemingly mocking his opponent with a facial gesture.
Pratt has been widely praised for that May 6 debate performance as he sparred with both Bass and Raman over a range of issues such as homelessness.
His trolling of Raman is only the latest of many online moves that have attracted nationwide attention for his campaign. He shared a number of AI-generated ads, for example, that depict him as a superhero fighting against Democratic California politicians, like Bass or Gov. Gavin Newsom, portrayed as villains.
Despite being a registered Republican, he’s running as an independent, and a Trump endorsement could throw a curve in the mayoral race. The prospect of Trump backing Pratt has “absolutely been discussed” inside the White House ahead of the June 2 primary, according to a source.
Endorsement or not, rivals like Raman have already attempted to label him a “MAGA Republican.”
The latest poll has Bass comfortably leading at 30%, but Pratt saw a surge from undecided voters to land him in second place with 22% of voters. Raman had 19% of voters.
