Spencer Pratt Squirms as Jake Tapper Grills Him on His 9/11 Conspiracy

CNN host Jake Tapper confronted Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt live on The Lead regarding audio from a 2009 appearance on far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Infowars, where Pratt claimed the September 11 terrorist attacks were "100 percent" an inside job.

During the broadcast, Tapper played the archival audio and directly asked Pratt, "Do you still think that?"

Pratt, who is running as a President Donald Trump-endorsed candidate for the November mayoral election, squirmed as he was grilled.

He attempted to pivot by comparing the situation to his experience surviving a destructive Pacific Palisades, Calif. fire. noting that living through what he termed "city and state negligence" changed his perspective.

“So unfortunately, you know, I was young and naive to understanding how there are people that will fail citizens across the board. I would have to go back and look at all that. I haven’t watched any of those things in 20 years or whatever, but I bet now with my fresh eyes of surviving the city’s negligence that burned 12 people in my neighborhood alive, 7,000 structures, and seeing how fast the internet said that was a conspiracy and how I had to be like, no, this is how it happened, this, this and this — now with new, fresh eyes, I’m sure I would look at that a lot different,” he sputtered.

When pressed by Tapper on whether he now acknowledges 9/11 was an act of terror, Pratt stated he believes government negligence — rather than an intentional plot — allowed the al-Qaeda terrorists to succeed. He added of his own experiences, "They didn't burn my house down on purpose; they just failed."

Pratt admitted to having "20 years of regret" regarding his past commentary but argued the old clips do not connect to his current mission for Los Angeles.

Pratt became famous as the highly unpopular "villain" of MTV's mid-2000s hit reality show The Hills. His notorious reputation was originally cemented by his plotting and controlling behavior toward his then-girlfriend (and now wife) Heidi Montag.

The couple famously blew through their $10 million fortune ahead of the non-existent December 21, 2012 Mayan Apocalypse. Believing the world was ending, they liquidated their assets on expensive gifts, designer items and an estimated $1 million crystal collection — including a $65,000 single crystal — before the predicted date.

A registered Republican in a deeply liberal city, Pratt has polled surprisingly well by capitalizing on voter anger regarding homelessness, public drug use and the city's response to the Pacific Palisades wildfires.

However, he has also faced intense scrutiny over several campaign claims and misrepresentations that critics and media outlets have labeled as lies or fabrications.

Pratt launched a series of viral campaign advertisements filmed outside an Airstream trailer parked on his burned-out Pacific Palisades property. He claimed to the public, "This is where I live," presenting himself as a displaced victim forced to deal with rough conditions due to City Hall's failed wildfire response.

An investigative scoop by TMZ claimed Pratt does not actually live in the trailer and instead has been residing in a high-end hotel in Bel Air. Following the exposure of this deception, Pratt altered his narrative, claiming he had to vacate the trailer due to "death threats and safety concerns."

Meanwhile, Pratt filed an official complaint accusing incumbent Mayor Karen Bass of illegal electioneering, as he publicly alleged that a video posted by Bass showed her violating California law by campaigning within 100 feet of an official ballot drop box.

The Bass campaign provided evidence directly refuting the claim, proving the accusation was blatantly false. The video was shot across two separate locations: the footage featuring campaign signs was filmed more than 200 feet away from the polling area, while the close-up clips near the ballot box contained no campaign materials at all.

Pratt’s overall chance of winning the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral race is estimated at roughly 22 to 24 percent. While he has polled competitively and secured a nearly 80 percent chance of advancing to a November runoff, his path to an outright victory is narrow.