Former pro basketball star Magic Johnson publicly endorsed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for a second term, praising her handling of homelessness, housing, and public safety in California’s largest city. However, the endorsement has drawn criticism online, with many netizens accusing both Johnson and Bass of being disconnected from the realities facing everyday LA residents.
In a video shared by Bass on X, the NBA legend spoke highly of the mayor and said he believed she deserved another term leading Los Angeles. Johnson said he has known Bass for around three decades and credited her administration with making progress on several key issues affecting the city.
“She sustained the first ever consecutive decrease in homelessness. Homicide rate is down, new housing units, 40,000. I mean, she’s doing a tremendous job,” Johnson said in the video. He credited Bass with helping create jobs for residents and described her work as “amazing.”
Johnson added that he was excited to publicly support her reelection campaign. He told Bass after she walked into the frame to give him a hug, “You took on a tough job here and you’ve done a fabulous job and all of us appreciate your effort and what you’re doing. We look forward to helping you continue your mission.”
Critics Fire Back
Several netizens on X were outraged by Johnson’s endorsement. Some claimed his status as a wealthy celebrity insulated him from the issues he spoke of in the video. “Magic is a fool who lives in a guarded compound. The rest of us live in the real world,” one commenter wrote. “Oh wow! An endorsement from an out of touch millionaire athlete. Not really an endorsement for the Los Angeles citizens,” another chimed in.
A third said, “He and you don’t have to live next to homeless junkies like the rest of us.” A fourth reacted more harshly, writing, “Another out of touch liberal idiot who thinks he is relevant!”
A number of people also accused Democrats of relying too heavily on celebrity figures during campaigns. “You know when democrats are failures. They have to start bring [sic] out celebrities to get elected. And the stupid people fall for it every time,” one netizen claimed. Someone else mocked Bass for “pulling out celebrity friends,” claiming she “will do anything to distract you from the [expletive] she’s created.”
Other reactions mostly targeted Bass over her tenure as mayor. “You’ve made L.A. WORSE. Some said it couldn’t be done. Congratulations,” one X user commented. Another alleged, “Karen you keep stealing from the taxpayers and giving the money to your allies in the unions. You are a disgrace to California.”
The Los Angeles primary mayoral election is now less than a month away, with Bass, Spencer Pratt, and Nithya Raman among the candidates receiving significant attention online.
