Spencer Pratt Plagued by Ted Cruz's 'Kiss of Death' as Republican Senator Bashes L.A. Mayor Karen Bass

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz praised reality TV star-turned-mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt in his race against the Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

During a Capitol Hill interview with TMZ, Cruz heavily criticized the city's current conditions under Bass' leadership and expressed his admiration for Pratt’s highly publicized campaign strategy that seems to be making waves among some of Hollywood's D-list power players.

Cruz explicitly called registered Republican Pratt's viral campaign ads "awesome" and stated he eagerly awaits new releases.

He noted that the ads have gone viral because they "speak to a real truth" about the decline in the quality of life in Los Angeles, but Pratt may want to reconsider the senator's endorsement.

In popular culture and sports fandom, the "Ted Cruz kiss of death" refers to an online jinx. Fans frequently point out that whenever the Texas Senator attends a high-stakes game or tweets his support for a Texas sports franchise, that team suffers an embarrassing or historic defeat.

Cruz slammed Bass’ administration over its handling of homelessness, street drug use, rampant crime, and the slow rebuilding efforts following the devastating 2025 Pacific Palisades wildfire.

The senator argued that public safety is not a partisan issue, stating that even the most liberal voters do not want their children accosted by criminals or drug dealers on their way to school.

Pratt, widely recognized from the reality TV show The Hills, launched an independent/Republican bid for mayor after losing his own $3 million home in the Palisades wildfire.

Pratt's campaign has heavily leveraged slick, AI-generated content to target Democratic city leadership aggressively. His visibility further surged after a union-funded anti-Pratt attack ad inadvertently drew widespread mockery and boosted his profile online.

When asked by reporters whether a potential endorsement from Donald Trump would hurt or help Pratt in a heavily blue city, Cruz said it likely wouldn't matter either way because voters are simply desperate for a change away from Bass's policies.

An endorsement from the widely reviled Texas Senator is likely something any candidate of any party would ignore, considering Cruz’s own opportunistic political style and willingness to embrace divisive, trending populist rhetoric.

Critics frequently argue that his tactics — like his controversial travel during the 2021 Texas power grid crisis or his tendency to amplify highly polarizing culture-war issues — prioritize personal visibility over constituent needs.

The reality star has been widely mocked by critics in a highly shared post by internet users, labeling him an "unqualified bankrupted liar from a reality TV show with no government experience," drawing direct parallels between his campaign and Trump's political rise.

Critics recently accused Pratt of faking a campaign ad in which he appeared to be living in an Airstream trailer on the site of his former Pacific Palisades home. Reports, including one covered by TMZ, alleged that he actually spends his time checked into the luxury Hotel Bel-Air.

The Hills alum Stephanie Pratt publicly urged voters not to cast ballots for her brother, declaring that a vote for him was "a vote for stupidity" and calling him "unqualified and inexperienced."

Since taking office in December 2022, Bass has focused heavily on the city's housing emergency and public safety, achieving a 17.5 percent reduction in street homelessness over the past two years.

Her signature Inside Safe Initiative has dismantled over 75 encampments and brought more than 23,000 unhoused residents into temporary housing.

She also passed the first update to LA's Rent Stabilization Ordinance in nearly 40 years, capping annual rent increases between 1 percent and 4 percent.

Under her administration, homicides decreased by over 25 percent compared to 2022 levels.

The TMZ interview wasn't the first time Cruz chimed in on the former reality star, posting a video of Bass as Darth Vader in early May, saying of Pratt, "How could you not vote for this guy?"