Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell on Wednesday called a recent social media video featuring Councilmember Nithya Raman “disappointing” after the footage appeared to link the longtime law enforcement leader to the phrase “fascist liar.”
McDonnell spoke exclusively with NBC Los Angeles on Wednesday and confirmed he had seen the video, in which Raman, a candidate for Los Angeles mayor, appeared alongside digital content creator Ed Choi. Critics said the video appeared to associate McDonnell with fascists. In the same video, Raman said she would remove McDonnell as police chief if elected, citing his handling of anti-ICE protests in the summer of 2025.
“I don’t believe that Chief McDonnell has met this moment, and I will make sure that we are appointing a police chief who can really respond to the needs that immigrant Angelenos have and that every resident of Los Angeles has,” Raman said in the now-deleted video.
McDonnell said that because he frequently receives threats and is called names, he is able to brush off such criticism and remain focused on his job.
“I can’t be distracted by stuff like that,” the LAPD chief said.
Responding to Raman’s criticism that the LAPD protected ICE rather than protesters during last summer’s demonstrations, McDonnell said officers handled the unrest “remarkably well.”
“We had 52 officers injured during that period of time. The assaults on officers were like I’ve never seen before, with commercial-grade fireworks being shot directly at them,” he said, adding that some officers now suffer from hearing impairments.
Although weapons, including Molotov cocktails, were used against officers, McDonnell said the department remained “amazingly disciplined.”
“ATVs were driven at them, vehicles were burned right in front of them,” the chief said, emphasizing the bravery officers displayed while protecting residents.
“For someone to come back over a year later and criticize something that was a heroic effort, it’s disappointing,” McDonnell said.
Raman’s campaign told NBC Los Angeles on Tuesday that when she recorded the video with Choi, she was asked to repeat his tagline, “Only you can stop fascist liars,” in reference to ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“The video was then edited by the creator to put Mayor Bass on screen during that moment, but Nithya never used that phrase to describe Mayor Bass, Chief McDonnell or LAPD officers, which is why we removed ourselves from the post and asked the creator to take it down immediately,” the campaign said in a statement.
Raman’s campaign also said her desire to replace McDonnell should not come as a surprise because she has been transparent about her disagreements with the chief. However, her team said there is no timeline for removing McDonnell should she be elected mayor.
Raman voted in favor of McDonnell’s appointment as LAPD chief in November 2024. The City Council ultimately confirmed him in an 11-2 vote.
NBC Los Angeles reached out to Choi but did not receive a response.
Raman’s remarks also drew criticism from the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing rank-and-file LAPD officers, and from Karen Bass’ reelection campaign.
“There is a reason the chief and the mayor have security details. It’s because they are under constant threat,” the police union said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Ms. Raman has now amplified those threats and further endangered our members who serve on those details. It also underscores why she has no business leading Los Angeles.”