Mayor apologizes for absence during recent fires, says apology reflected grief and duty

At a confirmation hearing drawn from the 2025 Confirmation Hearings Collection, a questioner pressed the mayor over an apology the mayor issued for being out of the country while recent fires affected the city.

The questioner asked, "Why you chose to apologize for being out of the country when the fires happen as if somehow you control the weather, you control the winds," and added, "Why why did you apologize for being gone?" The line of questioning framed the mayor’s apology as unnecessary or performative.

The mayor responded that grief can express itself as anger and that his apology reflected how he felt. "I felt awful by not being here when my city needed me regardless," the mayor said, adding that while his physical presence would not have changed emergency responses, the role of mayor carries an expectation of being here for residents.

The exchange centered on expectations of elected leadership during emergencies: the questioner pressed whether apologizing signaled an admission of avoidable absence, while the mayor emphasized an emotional and symbolic responsibility tied to the office. No formal motion or vote occurred during this exchange.