GEN Stanley A. McChrystal. (Photo: U.S. Department of Defense)
LA County Supervisors Hire Trump-Hater Stanley McChrystal for ‘Listening Tour’ of LA Fire Areas
No Virginia consultant can spin responsibility for empty reservoirs and no water in the fire hydrants
By Katy Grimes, April 7, 2025 8:35 am
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors hired a notorious Trump hater, retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, to do a “listening tour” of the people of the Palisades and Eaton Fires areas. Are the Supervisors incapable of doing the listening themselves, or are they trying to distance themselves from responsibility of the horrific fires by adding an unaccountable layer of bureaucracy?
The reservoirs were empty, and there was no water in the fire hydrants for fire fighters. Let’s remember who is responsible for that. No consultant brought in from Virginia will be able to spin that.
In 2018, NBC reported:
“I don’t think he tells the truth,” McChrystal told ABC’s Martha Raddatz who questioned the general on whether he feels Trump is a liar.
When asked if Trump is immoral, McChrystal said: “I think he is.”
“If we want to be governed by someone we wouldn’t do a business deal with because their — their background is so shady, if we’re willing to do that, then that’s in conflict with who I think we are. And so I think it’s necessary at those times to take a stand.”
The LA County Supervisors vote to hire a Trump-hating former four-star general speaks volumes.
“McChrystal, the former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, was fired by President Barack Obama in 2010 over a Rolling Stone article in which his aides disparaged the president,” Joel Pollak of Breitbart reported. “He then went on to become one of several retired military and intelligence leaders to attack President Donald Trump during his first term. Some even called for the president’s removal from office.”
LA Mayor Karen Bass is also prioritizing “green” wildfire rebuilding permits agreeing to use only electric appliances, so those who want to rebuild with gas appliances are getting their permits slow-walked.
On March 21, 2025, Mayor Karen Bass issued an Emergency Executive Order claiming “to help Palisades residents expedite the rebuilding of their homes and businesses in ways that better protect against wildfires and other climate-fueled disasters.” On of the conditions to “Streamline permitting for owners” is to “rebuild all-electric, more fire-resistant homes.”
Saul Alinsky, call your office.
LA County said McChrystal will conduct an independent review of the evacuation policies and emergency alert notification systems utilized by the County and its partners in responding to the fires, and that McChrystal has extensive experience with disaster response reviews, including an ongoing review concerning the North Carolina hurricane.
How many outside contracts do the Los Angeles Supervisors issue with 110,000 county employees?
As Joel Pollak notes:
“Faulty evacuation orders have been blamed in media accounts for deaths, specifically in the area of Western Altadena, which did not receive alerts until it was far too late for some residents to escape.
In another controversial arrangement, the Los Angeles City Council hired Hagerty Consulting for $10 million in a behind-closed-doors deal that was questioned at the time, given the fact that two former lead consultants at the firm had pleaded guilty of misappropriating disaster relief funds.”
There is nothing about the cost of the contract with the McChrystal Group in the LA County press release. The Globe sent a request for the cost to the Coordinated Joint Information Center with the LA County Counsel. We will update the article when we receive a response.
“The planned McChrystal Group review comes in response to a Jan. 28 Board of Supervisors directive ‘to ensure the County and the public will ultimately have a clear understanding of all that was done to prevent the loss of life and property during the worst fire disaster in modern LA County history, and to determine what factors led to the tragic deaths of at least 29 of our County residents,’” the county press statement says.
This is the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors agenda item January 28, 2025, page 18 of the LA County Board agenda:
IV. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS 10 – 11
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
10. After Action Report for the January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Fire Events
Recommendation as submitted by Supervisors Barger and Horvath: Instruct County Counsel, in consultation with the Sheriff, Fire Chief and the Director of the Office of Emergency Management, to retain a consultant with subject matter expertise, to review the evacuation policies and emergency alert notification systems utilized by the County and its partners in responding to the Palisades and Eaton Fires, to review what the County, including the Sheriff, Fire Chief, and the Director of the Office of Emergency Management, did in terms of the evacuation efforts; and prepare and present a progress report back to the Board in writing in 90 days, and every 90 days thereafter, until the consultant has completed a comprehensive review. (25-0615)
Interested person(s) submitted written testimony.
On motion of Supervisor Hahn, seconded by Supervisor Solis, this item was duly carried by the following vote:
Attachments:
Ayes: 5 – Supervisor Solis, Supervisor Mitchell, Supervisor Horvath, Supervisor Hahn and Supervisor Barger
Motion by Supervisors Barger and Horvath Report
Public Comment/Correspondence
Notably, of the attachments – there was no “report,” specifically. The public comment document was interesting. In the Motion by Supervisors Barger and Horvath, no cost of the contract was included.
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October 12, 2021
I am familiar with McChrystal and the Rolling Stone article that led to his firing by Obama. The firing was ostensibly for insubordination; although there is some disagreement as to whether McChrystal’s statements and actions actually elevated to that level. Some say that Obama got his feelings hurt and was too sensitive about something. McChrystal was also General Michael Flynn’s superior officer – both of them were in Psyops which is a very narrow leadership pyramid (very few general officers). Flynn was and still is, of course, a very strong supporter of President Trump. I have not followed McChrystal’s consulting businesses closely since that time, but a primary motivation to hire him in LA seems to be that he is adamantly anti-Trump? Curious indeed, KG.
Disgusting. LA County gets what they deserve for voting these demwits in to office! Don’t feel sorry for them.
Why can’t LA County Supervisors conduct their own listening tours of their constituents?
And how much of the contract price will McCrystal kick back to Dem politicians and/or Dem NGOs?
Regarding the hiring of Trump-hater Stanley McChrystal to do “listening tours” and other totally unnecessary B.S. that, as was pointed out, could and should be covered by the massive numbers of employees of the County and the City if it is done at all, just know that the five-member L.A. County Board of Supervisors, and their hard-leftist voting majority (3-2 or 4-1 voting) is probably even worse than L.A. City, Karen Bass, and L.A. City Council, which is really saying something. Supervisor Barger is the one consistently sensible voice and, especially because this is her last term, has come out swinging in her fight to defend Altadena and its residents. She truly respects and admires the community and appears to be digging in with everything she has. Having worked with the “Altadena Town Council” myself I completely understand Barger’s commitment and why she wants a full-throated effort on Altadena’s behalf to be her “swan song.” Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, in spite of her innocent appearance, round eyeglasses, and little gold cross, has been viewed as one of the Usual Leftist Suspects. Whether she still is one remains to be seen. She has either been awakened by the devastation of the fires or her “partnership” with Barger is one of political expediency.
I can confirm from my own personal knowledge the anecdotes in public comment (above) about no warning from the automated system run by L.A. County as well as absence of on-site law enforcement (sheriff) evacuation warnings. A good friend who lives in Altadena and her family were not warned and barely made it out alive. She was acquainted with others in her neighborhood who did not make it out alive.
Showandtell, I hope that the affected families are, or plan, suing the county. County supervisors are supposed to be responsible for public safety. I suspect that the supervisors may not know exactly where all of the money will come from to pay McChrystal’s group. Didn’t President Trump assign Ric Grenell to be the federal-aid czar for the LA fires? There are strings attached to federal money.
Absolutely devastating, ShowandTell.
May justice be brought to those who abdicated their responsibilities to serve and protect the residents.
YES.
What will he hear? I can’t get a permit, I am homeless and all my neighbors have given up and sold out to Blackrock.. What will be reported? Everything is peachy.
Did LA County’s ruling Democrat cabal consider DEI with this hire? Since when did a military general ever listen to civilians? This has to be a political payoff for something?
“Since when did a military general ever listen to civilians?”
Very true, TJ. Luckily I worked with a couple of colonels who were willing to listen but they were the exceptions and not the rule. When working with the military everyone is supposed to follow the chain-of-command and civilians are at the bottom of the chain.
Yep, totally agree TJ, this smells like a payoff.
I believe this is the second subcontractor with a dubious background that has been hired to assess the situation!
The LA city council, Mayor Bass and now the LA County Supervisors could not run a lemonade stand if their lives depended on it!
Heck they would probably be denied a permit
This is all we need to know about this – PERIOD, FULL STOP to use a trite expression that Governor Greaseball uses all the time :
“On March 21, 2025, Mayor Karen Bass issued an Emergency Executive Order claiming “to help Palisades residents expedite the rebuilding of their homes and businesses in ways that better protect against wildfires and other climate-fueled disasters.” On of the conditions to “Streamline permitting for owners” is to “rebuild all-electric, more fire-resistant homes.”
Since when does the City Government have the authority to make personal rebuilding decisions on behalf of their constituents???
Is there NO PERSONAL LIBERTY in the City of El Lay???
SO glad I got the heck outta that swampy cesspool….
They will only hear what they want to hear and will gladly pay lots of OUR money to hear it.
The rest of the story
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-07/robert-clark-named-new-deputy-mayor-for-public-safety
NOT ONE building permit has been finalized in Altadena after devastation of the Eaton Fire three months ago, even though 1500 properties are ready to rebuild:
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/altadena-eaton-fire-building-permit-pacific-palisades-palisades-fire/3672886/
Disgusting!
Do we all see the pattern here?
Lahaina, Western North Carolina, Santa Rosa, Ca, Paradise, Ca, Altadena, CA and Pacific Palisades.
The Green Monster strikes again!
I hope Ric Grenell is keeping tabs on this!
LA deserves the government and leaders that they voted for. I always chuckle when a member of the Hollywood elite gets rolled out to back a Democrat candidate when LA is so horribly mismanaged. It has been 3 months since the fire. Have you seen the result of the investigation that was launched into the cause of the extensive damage? I haven’t. Are you curious why Steve Soboroff was appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to “kickoff the City’s massive rebuild and recovery effort” and he has quit already? He signed a 90-day contract and agreed to work for free. Those 90 days are up, and Soboroff says he hasn’t been asked to do anything in the last 45 days. His kickoff efforts literally too just a few hours of his time.
Now Stanley McChrystal will do “listening tours”. LA likes listeners. It is the same approach that they took to handling the homeless problem, traffic, crime, and water. They are so good at listening that many of their professional listeners get very, very rich.