MSNBC reporter Jacob Soboroff drew a striking parallel between the rhetoric of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt and that of President Donald Trump. Speaking to host Rachel Maddow, Soboroff explained that Pratt's motivation to run for office stemmed primarily from losing his home in the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire. However, Soboroff likened the former reality TV star's approach to homelessness to Trump's stance on immigration.
Pratt's Rhetoric Compared to Trump's
Soboroff stated, “Spencer Pratt talks about unhoused people and the affordability crisis in Los Angeles, but the way he speaks about unhoused people here in L.A. is just like Donald Trump talks about immigrants in the United States of America. That he wants to round them up and put them into a 'campus-like facility' in partnership with the federal government.” Soboroff added that while Pratt may have many boisterous ideas about running the U.S.'s second-largest city, his solutions “sound a lot more like the guy at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.”
Pratt's Homelessness Plan
Pratt, who gained notoriety on the MTV reality show “The Hills” and has never held elected office, has made homelessness a central campaign issue. Yet he has released few detailed policy plans compared to other candidates. He has claimed the city “doesn't have a homelessness problem” but a drug problem. “Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Nithya Raman, they think empty beds, they think it's a housing problem. It's a drug addiction problem,” Pratt said on CNN's “The Lead.” “Of course, we need to house and find shelter and rehabs for these people, but we need to have mandatory treatment for people that are on drugs.”
Pratt told “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas he wants private funding from billionaires to build a “campus” on federal land to confine unhoused drug addicts. “I went to Washington with all the people that build the prefabricated homes. It's actually cheaper to build an entire city of prefabricated homes with treatment facilities and medical centers than just launder money into buildings in L.A.,” Pratt said. “I have plenty of very successful philanthropic billionaires that I've met with that would love to invest in this.”
Trump's Support and Primary Status
Trump endorsed Pratt weeks before California's primary, telling reporters he'd “like to see him do well.” “He's a character ... I heard he's a big MAGA person. He's doing well,” Trump added. As of Wednesday evening, Pratt holds second place in the mayoral primary behind incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, with 62% of votes counted, according to the Associated Press. Councilwoman Nithya Raman trails in third. The top two candidates advance to the general election in November if no one reaches 50%.
