Vance Blames L.A. Violence on California Democrats and Disparages Padilla
Vance Blames L.A. Violence on California Democrats and Disparages Padilla

Vice President JD Vance said during a Los Angeles stop that Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass had encouraged protesters to engage in violence. He also criticized Senator Alex Padilla and called him by the wrong name.
Read the full article on NY Times Politics
Truth Analysis
Analysis Summary:
The article presents a mix of accurate and unverified claims. While it accurately reports Vance's statements, the truthfulness of those statements regarding Newsom, Bass, and Padilla is not fully verifiable with the provided sources. The article exhibits moderate bias by presenting Vance's perspective without readily available counterarguments within the provided context.
Detailed Analysis:
- Claim:** Vice President JD Vance said during a Los Angeles stop that Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass had encouraged protesters to engage in violence.
- Verification Source #1: Mentions blaming violence on Democrats, supporting the general idea, but doesn't specifically confirm Vance's claim about Newsom and Bass encouraging violence.
- Verification Source #5: Mentions Los Angeles mayor blaming immigration raids for violence, which could be related, but doesn't confirm Vance's specific claim.
- Status:* Unverified. The sources suggest a general trend of blaming Democrats for violence, but don't confirm Vance's specific accusation.
- Claim:** He also criticized Senator Alex Padilla and called him by the wrong name.
- Verification Source #1: Mentions House speaker Mike Johnson suggesting that Padilla had charged... This indirectly confirms Padilla's name is Alex, but doesn't confirm Vance called him by the wrong name.
- Verification Source #2: Confirms Alex Padilla is a Senator from California.
- Status:* Partially verified. Padilla's name is confirmed, but the claim about Vance calling him by the wrong name is unverified.
Supporting Evidence/Contradictions:
- Verification Source #1: Supports the general idea of Republicans blaming Democrats for violence.
- Verification Source #2: Confirms Alex Padilla's name and position as a Senator from California.
- Verification Source #5: Shows a different perspective on the cause of violence in Los Angeles, with the mayor blaming immigration raids. This doesn't directly contradict Vance's claim, but offers an alternative explanation.
- Lack of Coverage:* None of the provided sources directly confirm or deny Vance's specific claims about Newsom, Bass, and calling Padilla by the wrong name.