Spencer Pratt amplified a CNN segment on X that cast his Los Angeles mayoral bid as a Trump-2016-style outsider campaign, embracing a comparison he has not tried to avoid.
Caroline Sunshine, a former Trump communications aide, argued Pratt’s small 5-to-6-person operation, lack of party backing and blunt debate style give him an edge over more traditional rivals.
The segment tied that argument to Pratt’s recent polling surge and his populist attacks on incumbent Karen Bass, councilmember Nithya Raman and Gov. Gavin Newsom after entering the race following the Palisades Fire.
Brian Tyler Cohen agreed the comparison fits but said it cuts the other way, arguing Trump’s current unpopularity and higher prices undermine the idea that the model is politically attractive.
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