Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass thought she had a feel-good moment lined up Friday, joining city crews for a heavily promoted pothole repair event and boasting that Los Angeles had paved 60 miles of streets and filled more than 10,000 potholes after recent storms. She even grabbed some asphalt and filled a pothole herself — because nothing screams “citywide solution” like one shovel and a camera crew.

Then KTLA reporter Eric Spillman showed up and politely ruined the script.

Before Bass even arrived, Spillman pointed out the obvious: you don’t need to be a detective to find potholes in Los Angeles — they’re everywhere. When Bass promised to keep fixing them “until all the potholes are fixed,” Spillman noted that meant a very long road ahead. Bass encouraged residents to call 311 to report potholes, but Spillman pushed back hard, saying he personally knows people who called 311 repeatedly over months and never saw a single repair.

“So you’re encouraging people to call 311,” he said, “but guess what? We know people who did — and nothing happened.”

At that point, Bass visibly grew irritated and retreated to her talking points, repeating the 10,000 pothole claim and blaming crumbling roads on a lack of infrastructure funding. Which is interesting, considering former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden both poured massive sums into infrastructure. Yet somehow, in blue cities like Los Angeles, the roads still look like they’ve been through a minor war. Where the money went remains one of life’s great mysteries.

Spillman then turned to StreetsLA General Manager Keith Mozee, who had joined Bass for the photo op. Mozee reportedly bragged that 60 lane miles would be paved this year. Spillman calmly did the math for everyone watching at home: Los Angeles has about 22,000 lane miles of streets. Sixty miles is a tiny fraction.

Bass tried to spin that number as “an accomplishment” while continuing to blame others for not investing enough in infrastructure. Spillman wasn’t buying it. He reminded her that she’s running for reelection and that voters will judge her on what she’s actually done.

So far, that record isn’t exactly inspiring confidence. Even KTLA reported that drivers “have not noticed significant improvements” despite the city’s repair efforts. And that’s before factoring in her handling of the 2025 wildfires, ongoing homelessness, and a massive budget shortfall forcing deep cuts.

Bass currently faces reelection in 2026 with approval ratings stuck in the low-to-mid 30s and disapproval often above 60 percent. Add potholes to wildfires, budget chaos, and public frustration, and the picture isn’t pretty.

But hey — she filled one pothole on camera. Aside from that, she’s doing a great job.