Fact check: What was estimated dollar damage from 2025 LA Riots

1. Summary of the results

According to Pentagon Comptroller Bryn MacDonnell, the direct military deployment costs of the 2025 LA Riots amounted to $134 million, covering expenses for 4,100 National Guard members and 700 Marines ^[1]. However, this figure only represents military-related costs. The same period saw devastating fires in Los Angeles County, specifically the Palisades and Eaton fires, which caused "hundreds of billions of dollars" in property damage and destroyed over 10,000 homes ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements need to be considered:

• The riots were triggered by immigration enforcement raids ^[1]
• For historical comparison, the 1992 Rodney King riots caused $800 million in damage ($1.84 billion when adjusted for inflation) ^[1]
• There was significant social media misinformation surrounding the events ^{[3] [4]}
• The concurrent fires in Los Angeles County may have contributed to the overall perception of damage and chaos in the region ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself could lead to misleading conclusions because:

• Different stakeholders might calculate damage differently:
• Government figures focus on military deployment costs ^[1]
• Insurance companies might include property damage
• Local businesses might include lost revenue
• There's documented evidence of misinformation being spread about these events on social media ^{[3] [4]}
• The concurrent fires might be incorrectly attributed to riot damage in some reports, potentially inflating damage estimates ^[2]
• Military deployment costs ($134 million) might be mistakenly reported as total riot damage, significantly understating the actual impact ^[1]