Reality television personality Spencer Pratt has escalated his Los Angeles mayoral campaign with an unconventional attack advertisement that repurposes footage from the Kardashian family's long-running reality series. The edited video targets incumbent Mayor Karen Bass by combining her debate remarks with Khloé Kardashian's dramatic reactions from an unrelated episode.
The advertisement features footage from last week's televised mayoral debate between Pratt, Bass, and candidate Nithya Raman. In the doctored clip, Bass discusses the wildfire that destroyed Pratt's Pacific Palisades residence. The video then cuts to Kardashian watching her phone and screaming "liar" — a moment originally captured during an episode of 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' where Kardashian was reacting to her ex-partner Tristan Thompson, not to any political figure.
Pratt shared the manipulated video on social media with the caption, "Everyone agrees: Karen Bass is an incredible liar." The advertisement represents an unusual fusion of reality television aesthetics and political messaging, leveraging the cultural recognition of the Kardashian franchise to amplify criticism of the current mayor.
The campaign tactic raises questions about the boundaries of political advertising in an era where digital editing tools make such content manipulation readily accessible. While political attack advertisements have long been a staple of American campaigns, the appropriation of entertainment media footage for political purposes represents a relatively novel approach that blurs the lines between celebrity culture and civic discourse.
Pratt discussed his campaign strategy during an appearance on TMZ Live on Tuesday, May 13, 2026, elaborating on his perspective regarding his opponents in the mayoral race. The reality star, who lost his home in the Pacific Palisades wildfire, has positioned the disaster response as a central issue in his campaign against Bass and Raman.
The use of edited entertainment footage in political advertising may test voter tolerance for unconventional campaign tactics. As the mayoral race progresses, the effectiveness of such strategies in swaying public opinion remains to be seen. The incident underscores how reality television personalities are increasingly leveraging their media savvy and public recognition in pursuit of political office, bringing entertainment industry tactics into the electoral arena.
