Journalist and former California first lady Maria Shriver warned that “Los Angeles residents deserve better than the current Democratic leadership.”
Wildfires continue to burn in and around Los Angeles County, burning more than 27,000 acres, destroying more than 10,000 structures and killing multiple people, according to local officials.・Many people, including celebrities, have lost their homes in the Palisades area.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is under fire for her trip to Ghana last week, which means she was thousands of miles away from the city on the first Tuesday of the destruction.
She also faced scathing criticism from Los Angeles Fire Chief Christine Crowley. “It's been clear for the last three years that the fire department needs help,” he said when speaking to Jake Tapper on CNN, emphasizing “how understaffed we are.” LAFD lacks resources and funding. “I have sounded the alarm that these additional cuts could be extremely devastating to our ability to provide public safety,” she claimed.
As California's Democratic leaders have come under scrutiny for their mismanagement of the fires, some of the party's most prominent donors have turned on them.
Former California first lady Maria Shriver, who previously supported Karen Bass' opponent in 2022, issued a scathing attack on California's current leadership. (Schreiber photo: River Callaway/Variety via Getty Images | Bus photo: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
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Shriver, former California governor and ex-wife of movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger, echoed Crowley's comments, declaring that California's future “must change.”
“LA can't continue the way it is. LA is no longer what it used to be. It has to change. We must prioritize the safety of our citizens, our police, our fire, our schools. LA residents deserve better. Chief Crowley says L.A. cannot sustain itself. We need more help,” Shriver wrote. “Chief Crowley says she rang a bell. The last mayoral election presented a clear choice. Going forward, L.A. residents must decide what's important and what's not. Now. The important thing is to get this fire under control and get the support of firefighters.'' Once that happens, it's time to rethink what can be done and imagine what could happen. ”
According to Official FEC records, Shriver has a history of donating to Democratic campaigns, most recently to Gallego for Arizona and Harris for President.
Firefighters battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, January 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Jae C. Hong/AP)
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In July, Shriver wrote: facebook post Supports Vice President Kamala Harris' candidacy for president. She praised Harris, a California native herself who served in the state's government for years, and said that those who donated to her were “giving their money to hope, giving their money to democracy, and giving their money to this… “I poured my money into women and this administration.” It is a job that has already been done and needs to be completed. This is a people's revolution driven by we the people. ”
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Shriver has consistently opposed Karen Bass, and in 2022 supported her opponent, real estate developer Rick Caruso.
