An old clip of Los Angeles City Councilwoman and current mayoral candidate Nithya Raman is making the rounds on social media, drawing renewed attention for her remarks on catalytic converter theft. In the video, she argues that car companies like Toyota are effectively driving costs onto taxpayers by placing catalytic converters in easily accessible locations, making them easier to steal. She suggests that responsibility for the surge in thefts should fall on manufacturers rather than the thieves.
The clip, originally from 2023, has resurfaced as Raman has lead the Los Angeles mayoral race.
Nithya Raman Says Car Theft Is Toyota’s Fault Not Criminals
— PBD Podcast (@PBDsPodcast) May 8, 2026
"She said the reason why people are stealing the catalytic converter from the Prius... is because Toyota made it so easy for them to steal it. It's not the thieves's fault. It's Toyota's fault."
"It's like saying,… pic.twitter.com/Hswwksv3qu
Nithya Raman wants the CEO of Toyota arrested for this. Literally https://t.co/7JAaUZca3F pic.twitter.com/3qok7gLeni
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) April 4, 2026
"We have a company, you know, the Prius, whatever, Toyota, who makes the Prius, that essentially has a device on their cars, which is super easy to remove. It's basically the value of a MacBook, right, that is put in a place that is incredibly easy to access in your car," the democrat socialist says in the clip. "And then the thefts related to this issue have essentially all of the costs of that are given to us to bear instead of them having to manufacture a car that actually is not so easy to be stolen."
Thankfully, the crowd proceeded to boo her comment, but it reflects the level of accountability voters could expect if she were elected. Conservatives thought Karen Bass was bad, but it could get worse. If she gets elected, who knows, she could argue that the reason people are drug addicts and committing crimes is because drugs are too expensive, and the city should step in to regulate the illegal narcotics market.
Despite Raman's real chance at being elected, Republican mayoral candidate and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt has brought the fight to the city’s progressives, releasing standout campaign ads and hammering Bass and Raman on the debate stage without mercy. His policy, he says, is nothing more than common sense, and he has noted support from Democrats as well.
The reality of a failing city like Los Angeles is that at some point, change becomes unavoidable, and residents may be willing to take it in whatever form it comes, including Republican leadership.
