X Highlights Hypocrisy of Celebs Who Freaked Out Over Ted Cruz Leaving Texas During Blackouts Now Staying Silent on Mayor Bass’ Africa Trip as Wildfires Torch LA
As devastating fires threaten Los Angeles neighborhoods this week, Mayor Karen Bass found herself at the center of controversy for being thousands of miles away in Ghana, highlighting what some see as a stark contrast in how political absences during crises are judged.
Bass, who was attending the presidential inauguration of John Dramani Mahama in Ghana, returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday amid growing criticism over her absence during the emergency.
The mayor’s overseas trip has drawn particular attention due to the apparent silence from Hollywood celebrities who had previously been vocal critics of similar situations involving conservative politicians.
This contrast was most notably seen in comparison to the backlash faced by Texas Senator Ted Cruz during the 2021 power grid crisis.
When confronted by reporters about the crisis unfolding in her city, Bass remained silent, refusing to address questions about her absence during the disaster.
The Post Millennial (TPM) reported that Daniel Turner of Power the Future highlighted this discrepancy between Bass and Cruz on Human Events Daily, pointing to the intense media scrutiny and celebrity outrage that followed the Texas senator’s brief trip to Cancun during Texas’s winter storm crisis.
Major media outlets, including Variety, NBC and The New York Times, published critical coverage of Cruz’s trip, with headlines emphasizing his “leadership failure” and “political blunder.”
Cruz, who faced immediate backlash, explained his actions at the time, 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,” he continued, as outlined by TPM.
“Wanting to be a good dad, I flew with them last night and am flying back this afternoon.”
The contrast in response has been particularly notable among Hollywood’s elite.
Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who was forced to evacuate his Malibu home due to the current fires, posted about his experience: “Personal Fire Update: 7pm- Evacuated Malibu so last-minute there (were) small fires on both sides of the road as we approached [Pacific Coast Highway].”
TPM noted that Hamill, who had previously criticized Cruz as “#CancunCruz,” notably made no mention of Bass’s absence.
Similarly, comedian Kathy Griffin, who had expressed “fiery anger” over Cruz’s Cancun trip, along with celebrities Seth Rogen, Patton Oswalt and Padma Lakshmi, have remained notably quiet about Bass’s absence during the LA crisis.
Conservatives and outraged social media users have criticized Bass and LA for not filling critical water reservoirs, not maintaining aging power lines and prioritizing “diversity” in the fire department over competency and training, amongst a plethora of other issues.
Newsweek reported that State Farm Insurance canceled approximately 1,600 homeowner policies in Pacific Palisades last summer that was part of a larger withdrawal that saw the provider terminate 72,000 policies across California.
This included 30,000 home insurance policies.
The outlet revealed that State Farm cited mounting wildfire risks and regulatory constraints as key factors behind their decision to reduce coverage in high-risk areas.
“Fire insurance being cancelled doesn’t need a conspiracy theory to explain,” one outraged X user quipped online.
“The insurance companies surveyed the areas they insured and realized this one was a firetrap.”
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