The Los Angeles mayoral race is ongoing, with former “The Hills” star Spencer Pratt among the most talked-about candidates, along with current mayor Karen Bass. Now, in a new interview, the 42-year-old political newbie is attempting to distance himself from his previous conspiracies about the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Spencer Pratt Walks Back His Previous 9/11 Claims

Pratt appeared on CNN’s “The Lead” with Jake Tapper to discuss his run for mayor of Los Angeles. While on the show, the journalist mentioned some of Pratt’s previous tweets and his praise for a September 11 conspiracy film.

When asked if he still thinks “9/11 was an inside job,” the “Hills” alum stated that he’d learned all these years later that “it’s actually the negligence of people in power.” After that, he pivoted to the conspiracies surrounding the 2025 California Wildfires, saying he would rather blame them on various theories than on the failure of leadership.

According to him, “The reality is people in charge fail us as taxpayers.” Then, in addressing the audio, Pratt claimed that he was 22 at the time and has since experienced “City negligence, state negligence,” adding, “it’s actually worse than a conspiracy.”

Pratt Says He Was ‘Young & Naive’

Pratt continued his interview by admitting his previously expressed belief about the 9/11 tragedy was ignorant. He stated, “We have people in charge that make mistakes that get people killed.” Pratt then said, “Unfortunately, you know, I was young and naive to understanding how there are people who will fail citizens across the board.”

In defending his previous stance, Pratt said that the shocking nature of the attacks from 2001 was so unfathomable that it made it easier for many to buy into conspiracies. Towards the end, the mayoral candidate doubled down on the realization that the attacks weren’t an inside job but rather a failure of leadership.

Tapper also confirmed that Pratt made the comments when he was 26 and not 22 as he had claimed at the beginning of the interview.

What Pratt Previously Said About 9/11

Before speaking with Pratt about his prior involvement in conspiracies, Tapper mentioned multiple 2019 Tweets in which the reality star praised a documentary titled “Loose Change.” The film, directed by Dylan Aver, was released in 2005 and explores the conspiracy theory of 9/11 being an inside job.

Per Tapper, one of the tweets finds Pratt claiming, “Anyone who can watch that and not see the truth is blind.” That’s not all; Pratt also appeared on noted conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ show, where he made statements supporting the unfounded claims.

However, to be fair to Pratt, when Jones asked if he believed the conspiracy “from [his] research,” he replied, “Not from my research but from your research it 100% is.”

Social Media Is Mixed On Pratt’s Defense

Following Tapper’s questioning of Pratt about his previous 9/11 comments, the internet is mixed. Some believe the former “Hills” star dodged the question, some question his judgment, and others feel there have been far too many years to hold him to his earlier beliefs.

One person wrote, “A con artist will say anything at a given time to be advantageous for their scam. Why is this uneducated fool even being talked about?” Someone else wrote, “In other words, he dodged answering the question and reflects on a fire, and bets are, he wouldn’t make any increases in the LA fire resources. Talk is cheap.”

In criticizing the line of questioning, a different commentator asked, “What does that have to do with LA?” Lastly, in support of Pratt, an X user said, “So typical for CNN to drag up 20-year-old trash comment during an interview with a hopeful to fix a deteriorating city.”

The Race For LA Mayor Is Tight

Pratt has seemingly gained quite a bit of traction from fellow celebrities. However, according to the UC Berkeley-L.A. Times Poll, the race remains tight. As of writing, the current mayor, Bass, is in the lead with 26%. After that, Nithya Raman is next with 25%.

Pratt isn’t far behind, at 22%. There are other candidates in the race, including Rae Huang, who is at 9%. The margin of error for the poll is at 3%.