Raman Campaign Disavowed Viral Influencer Video
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman requested the removal of an influencer video featuring controversial imagery.
Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Elections
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The campaign of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman sought the removal of a viral interview video featuring influencer Ed Choi. The clip displayed images of Mayor Karen Bass and Police Chief Jim McDonnell with a red X over the chief's face.
Why it matters
The controversy highlights the complexities of campaign interactions with social media figures, particularly when video edits introduce inflammatory imagery after an interview. The campaign maintains that the candidate's remarks were aimed at federal administration policies rather than local figures.
Influencer Ed Choi maintains a reach of 800,000 combined followers across TikTok and Instagram. While the campaign clarified the intent of the interview, the extent of the video's reach remains under scrutiny following the October 5, 2026, controversy.
The players
Nithya Raman
Nithya Raman is a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose campaign requested the removal of a viral video.
Ed Choi
Ed Choi is a social media influencer with nearly 800,000 combined followers on TikTok and Instagram.
Karen Bass
Karen Bass is the current Mayor of Los Angeles.
Jim McDonnell
Jim McDonnell is the Police Chief of Los Angeles.
The details
The video showed Ed Choi and Nithya Raman repeating the phrase 'Only you can stop fascist liars,' which the campaign stated referred to ICE and the Trump administration. The campaign claimed that the images of Mayor Karen Bass and Police Chief Jim McDonnell were added by Choi after the interview concluded.
Timeline
2021: Ed Choi pivoted to social-justice content following the Atlanta spa shootings.
2025: Ed Choi targeted the Great White restaurant group.
October 5, 2026: The controversy over the Raman video erupted.
Political Context
The influencer's pivot to political content followed the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings, establishing a career track focused on social justice. Opposition critics argue that such collaborations create unmanageable liabilities for political candidates in a high-stakes election year.
The controversy forces voters to consider how candidates vet their public endorsements in the social media era. Residents should be aware that the campaign has formally distanced itself from the specific imagery added to the interview footage.
The takeaway
Candidates remain vulnerable to the risks of third-party content creation when influencers operate outside of formal campaign oversight. Voters should verify the origin of viral political clips to distinguish between candidate statements and post-production additions.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in the Elections coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by New York Post.
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