Trump calls LA mayoral election 'rigged,' urges Spencer Pratt to fight results
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Spencer Pratt takes aim at LA mayoral candidates
Pratt vowed to remain in Los Angeles to continue his efforts against what he termed a "corrupt machine," stating that his loss frees him from holding back or worrying about offending viewers.
LOS ANGELES - President Donald Trump has thrust the Los Angeles mayoral race into the national spotlight, baselessly declaring the primary election "rigged" after his preferred candidate, former reality television personality Spencer Pratt, was eliminated from the upcoming runoff.
Trump argued that Pratt should not "go away quietly," echoing long-standing and unverified claims regarding the integrity of California's voting system.
What we know:
In the primary race to challenge incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, early in-person election night tallies initially showed Spencer Pratt—famous for his role on the MTV reality series "The Hills" —holding a solid second-place lead.
Running a campaign fueled by local frustration over crime, homelessness, and the aftermath of the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire, Pratt had sought to establish himself as a viable conservative alternative.
But as local election officials processed the massive volume of mail-in ballots over the subsequent week, progressive LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman gradually closed the gap.
By the time the official count neared its conclusion, Raman overtook Pratt by roughly 0.4 percentage points, securing the second-place spot for the November runoff alongside Bass.
The Associated Press subsequently determined that Pratt did not qualify for the runoff.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Election fraud probes in California announced by US Attorney amid rising tensions over slow vote count
- Angelenos react to Nithya Raman surging past Spencer Pratt in battle for No. 2 spot in LA mayor's race
- Steve Hilton talks opponent Xavier Becerra, supporting Spencer Pratt
Following the shift in numbers, Trump launched a series of attacks against California’s electoral process.
On Truth Social, Trump proclaimed: "No way this could have happened. Rigged Election!"
He further amplified these unsubstantiated fraud claims during an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker.
When pressed for evidence of a "rigged" vote, Trump responded, "All I have to do is look," before abruptly ending the interview.
Trump has repeatedly asserted that California’s universal vote-by-mail policy invites dishonesty, claiming that the state's system disproportionately benefits Democrats.
What we don't know:
It's unknown if any formal, organized legal challenges will be mounted on behalf of Pratt’s campaign, despite Trump’s insistence that he should fight the results.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Raman edges past Pratt to advance to November runoff
City Councilwoman Nithya Raman was bound Tuesday for a November runoff election against incumbent Karen Bass in the race for Los Angeles mayor, with the latest vote tally putting Raman well ahead of former reality TV personality Spencer Pratt.
While the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California indicated that some routine reviews regarding voter rolls are underway, federal authorities have not provided any evidence validating widespread ballot manipulation or fraud in Los Angeles.
What they're saying:
"No way this could have happened. Rigged Election! ... You have a really rigged vote in California. You have all the mail-in ballots, everything else. Very hard to win because the elections are very dishonest," said Trump.
In a post-primary video, Pratt opted to concede the structural race rather than echo Trump's claims of a stolen vote, but warned his opponents that his campaign to "save LA" was entering a new phase.
What's next:
With the primary certified, incumbent Bass will face progressive challenger Raman in the November general election.
The Source: This story was compiled using public campaign data, official vote tallies released by Los Angeles election administrators, and candidate statements from Spencer Pratt's campaign. Direct quotes were sourced from President Trump’s verified Truth Social broadcasts, his broadcast interview on NBC’s "Meet the Press" with Kristen Welker, and electoral analyses verified by the Associated Press.