Spencer Pratt uses AI slop and edgy humor in LA mayor’s race : NPR
NPR • • general
Key Points:
- Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV figure, is running for mayor of Los Angeles using provocative AI-generated videos and incendiary social media tactics to challenge incumbent Karen Bass and progressive Nithya Raman.
- Pratt's campaign echoes the combative, anti-establishment style popularized by Trump allies, targeting young men online with extreme rhetoric about homelessness, crime, and city leadership corruption without evidence.
- Despite significant social media buzz and endorsements from right-wing influencers like Joe Rogan, Pratt faces an uphill battle in a heavily Democratic city where polls show Bass with a solid lead.
- Political analysts note Pratt's digital strategy leverages a well-established right-wing online media ecosystem, but warn that internet notoriety does not necessarily translate into electoral success.
- Pratt attempts to distance himself from the MAGA label to appeal broadly in the nonpartisan race, while maintaining a confrontational style that some see as prioritizing drama over traditional politics.