Fact check: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass says the looting of the Apple Store and Nike Store “was provoked by the White House.”

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, none of the sources directly support the specific claim that L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said the looting of the Apple Store and Nike Store "was provoked by the White House." However, the sources reveal a more nuanced picture of the situation.

The analyses show that Mayor Bass did make statements blaming the White House for provoking disorder in Los Angeles, but not specifically regarding the Apple and Nike store looting. One source indicates that Mayor Karen Bass blamed the White House for 'provoking' the disorder seen on the streets of LA ^[1], while another mentions her opposition to protests against federal immigration raids ^[2].

Regarding the actual looting incidents, sources confirm that Apple and Adidas stores were looted in downtown LA ^[3], with Mayor Bass condemning the violence but without mentioning the White House as a provoking factor for these specific incidents ^[3]. Additionally, Mayor Bass expressed disagreement with President Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines, stating that the presence of the National Guard exacerbated the situation ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks crucial context about the broader situation in Los Angeles. The analyses reveal that the tensions were related to federal immigration raids and the deployment of military forces, not just random looting incidents ^{[2] [4]}.

Mayor Bass's actual position appears to be opposition to the military and National Guard presence, which she believes 'provoke' unrest ^[2]. She specifically stated that these forces were not acting 'on behalf of immigrants' when discussing the looters ^[4].

The missing context includes:

• The connection between federal immigration enforcement and civil unrest
• The distinction between condemning looters while opposing federal military deployment
• The timeline of events and Bass's various statements in different contexts

Political actors who might benefit from either narrative include federal officials seeking to justify military deployment and local officials positioning themselves against federal overreach.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement appears to contain significant inaccuracies based on the available analyses. While Mayor Bass did criticize the White House for provoking disorder generally, no source confirms she specifically blamed the White House for the Apple Store and Nike Store looting ^{[1] [3] [4]}.

The statement may be conflating separate incidents or statements, combining Bass's general criticism of White House policies with specific looting incidents. This type of conflation can create misleading impressions about what public officials actually said.

The framing also omits Bass's condemnation of the looting itself ^[3], which provides important context about her actual position. By presenting only the alleged blame toward the White House without her criticism of the looters, the statement creates a potentially biased representation of her stance.

The lack of direct quotes or specific dates in the original statement makes it difficult to verify and suggests it may be based on incomplete or misinterpreted information from the actual sources analyzed.