WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday called for Nury Martinez to resign from the Los Angeles City Council over racist remarks she is heard making on leaked recordings that were made public this week
“The president is glad to see that one of the participants in that conversation has resigned, but they all should,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, calling the language recorded during the conversation “unacceptable” and “appalling.”
Biden is now the highest-profile political figure to weigh in on the firestorm that has generated outrage across the city.
Jean-Pierre’s comments came on the eve of a four-day Western swing that will bring Biden to Los Angeles and Orange counties, and just hours after Martinez announced she would take a leave of absence from the council rather than give up her seat.
By weighing in ahead of Biden’s trip, the White House sought to deal with the controversy before the president arrives in California, where he is set to hold two public events and attend a fundraiser with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Thursday night.
The president joins a long list of California Democrats who have criticized Martinez, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and both L.A. mayoral candidates, Karen Bass and Rick Caruso.
Propelled through the 2020 primary largely thanks to his strong support from Black voters, Biden has made a point of speaking out on a racial injustice and promised that equity would be a hallmark of his administration.
Although Democrats have failed to advance voting rights legislation during his time in office, Biden has frequently condemned racism. He is determined to convey solidarity on what he sees as a bedrock issue for the country, and he is far less constrained by self-restraint than President Barack Obama was during his eight years in office.
Martinez, who has now issued multiple apologies, became the first Latina to hold the powerful position of City Council president in 2019.
The representative from the San Fernando Valley used racist terms and denigrated colleagues during an October 2021 meeting with two other council members while they were discussing the city’s redistricting process.
Martinez focused in particular on Council member Mike Bonin, who is white, and Bonin’s young son, who is Black. At one point, Martinez called Bonin a “little bitch” and referred to his son as a “changuito,” which means “little monkey” in Spanish. She also said Bonin’s son had misbehaved on a parade float and needed a “beatdown.”
