Jon Stewart Mocks Spencer Pratt’s LA Mayoral Bid at Netflix Is a Joke Festival

Jon Stewart delivered a surprise opening set at the Netflix Is a Joke festival in Los Angeles, directly addressing Spencer Pratt’s candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles.

Standing before a massive crowd at the Hollywood Bowl, Stewart questioned the city’s choice in leadership amid ongoing crises.

“It’s a crazy world that we’re living in … It’s f—ked, man,” Stewart said. “We’re in an astonishing moment. You know, I was just saying, I mean, L.A., oh, you poor b—tards get one fire, one mudslide and you’re like, OK, just let the guy from ‘The Hills’ take over. Like, is that really what we’re doing?”

Stewart also mocked Pratt’s background, questioning his understanding of Los Angeles despite his reality TV fame.

“Everybody’s like, what does he know about L.A.? He was on a show with superficial, entitled rich people who were addicted to plastic surgery. How is he even gonna know what to do around here? … No offense,” Stewart joked.

Pratt, a 42-year-old Republican candidate, has seen a rapid rise in polls, moving from a novelty candidate to a serious contender. His performance in this week’s mayoral debate drew mixed reactions.

During the debate, Pratt criticized his opponent, Nithya Raman, for her approach to homelessness.

“The reality is no matter how many beds you give these people, they are on super meth. They are on fentanyl,” Pratt said. “The DEA statistics says 90% of this is a drug addiction problem. Councilman Raman’s plan for treatment first? I will go below the Harbor Freeway tomorrow with her and we can find some of these people she’s going to offer treatment for. She’s going to get stabbed in the neck.”

Mike Bonin, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, offered a measured take on Pratt’s debate performance.

“I actually thought that [Pratt] had a strong performance,” Bonin told TheWrap. “I’m sure the debate organizers were worried, going in, about how the reality TV star bad boy would behave. Would he keep interrupting? But he came across as serious and passionate and funny at times.”

Pratt announced his mayoral run on the anniversary of the Palisades fires, vowing to challenge the city’s leadership.

“We’re going to expose the system,” Pratt said to cheers from a crowd. “We’re going into every dark corner of LA politics and disinfecting the city with our light.”

Pratt also filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, alongside 20 others, alleging failures in the water supply system during the Palisades Fire.

“On information and belief, the Palisades Fire was an inescapable and unavoidable consequence of the water supply system servicing areas in and around Pacific Palisades as it was planned and constructed,” the lawsuit read. “The system necessarily failed, and this failure was a substantial factor in causing Plaintiffs to suffer the losses alleged in this Complaint.”