CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter claimed Tuesday that "most Angelenos are having a perfectly normal day," less than an hour before Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass (D.) declared a curfew in response to escalating unrest.
"Offline, in real-world Los Angeles, most Angelenos are having a perfectly normal day," Stelter posted at 7:07 p.m. Tuesday on X. "But online, the fires and riots are still raging. Seeking clicks, clout and chaos, unvetted social media accounts are preying on fears about where last weekend's clashes will lead…"
Shortly after Stelter's post, Bass declared a curfew across parts of downtown Los Angeles, in effect from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. The mayor said the curfew will likely last over the next few days.
"If you do not live or work in downtown L.A., avoid the area," Bass told reporters.
The remarks come as videos circulating on social media have shown rioters shutting down the 101 Freeway, vandalizing cars and businesses, and assaulting police officers in an attempt to protest the Trump administration's deportation of illegal immigrants. President Donald Trump has ordered 2,000 National Guardsmen "to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester" and on Monday deployed 700 Marines to protect federal buildings and personnel in Los Angeles.
Stelter, who was fired in August 2022 amid CNN's purge of controversial personalities but returned to the left-leaning network in September, on Monday dismissed videos of the riots as misleading.
"You might be looking at a video of something, wondering what's happening in L.A.—it's actually from two days ago," Stelter said. "It only matters because it can give people a false impression of what's actually happening at a moment of unrest."
Bass on Tuesday confirmed what the videos have shown. She said that "dozens of demonstrators have attempted to cross U.S. 101 and downtown buildings have received 'significant damage' from graffiti and broken windows," the New York Times reported. According to police, 200 people have been arrested as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Trump administration has ramped up deportations of illegal immigrants. Under border czar Tom Homan, ICE has arrested over 158,000 illegal aliens, around 75 percent of whom have criminal convictions or pending charges, according to the Department of Homeland Security.