“The Daily Show” took aim at Spencer Pratt’s early surge in the Los Angeles mayoral race, mocking why voters are rallying behind the “The Hills” star as he pushes for the November runoff’s No. 2 spot.
When “The Daily Show” turned to Spencer Pratt’s early surge in the Los Angeles mayoral race, it did so with a blunt question from the start: “How did this country get so stupid?”
On Wednesday’s monologue. host Michael Kosta weighed in on Pratt’s momentum a day after the “The Hills” star emerged as a frontrunner for the No. 2 runoff spot over Councilmember Nithya Raman. Tuesday night. incumbent Mayor Karen Bass secured her place in the November runoff. leading with 37% of the vote when 50% of the votes had been counted.
Kosta didn’t just roast Pratt’s candidacy—he also framed it as a familiar kind of political pivot. “A reality TV star running for office?. Well. I’m sure if we make fun of him enough. he’ll only be in charge for 11 years. tops. ” he said. drawing a comparison to Donald Trump. another former reality TV figure who later moved into politics.
Then came the monologue’s sharper turn. “How did this country get so stupid? Oh, that’s right. We stopped reading books.”
The segment pivoted from punchlines to a citizen’s take on Pratt, cutting to one constituent who wore sunglasses at night. “He’s speaking out against communism and socialism. And it is a real big problem in our cities, especially in LA, where it’s turned to crap,” the constituent said.
Kosta responded by underlining the contrast between the political message and how it reads through a comedian’s lens. “Mm-hmm. Yep. See?. Spencer Pratt is standing up for the rights of all hardworking voters who look like ecstasy dealers. ” he said. adding. “And it’s about time someone spoke for older guys who hang around college parties where no one is sure who exactly brought them.”.
The show included a video of Kosta’s full monologue. A representative for Pratt did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Outside the spotlight of comedy, Pratt’s campaign has still faced criticism. But he has continued to project optimism. Tuesday evening, he celebrated his early lead in Los Angeles, boasting that the “communists already lost.”
Speaking after that surge, Pratt said, “My message to those people that didn’t vote for me. Thank you for voting.” He added, “I’m excited that everyone voted today. One thing I’ve learned is a lot of people don’t vote. My goal by November. whether it’s you’re voting for me or you’re voting for Mayor Bass. I’m going to get more people to vote.”.
As of the time of writing, Pratt had not officially secured the second spot in the runoff. Still, he was ahead of Raman with 29.9% of the vote with 62% of ballots counted.
The Daily Show Michael Kosta Spencer Pratt The Hills Los Angeles mayoral race Karen Bass Nithya Raman Donald Trump Los Angeles runoff