Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt said the death threats he received while at the peak of his reality star fame convinced him to join the Republican Party.
According to The Hill, Pratt is known for playing a recurring villain on the MTV series “The Hills.”
“When I was a hated reality star, I got so many death threats –– I had so much security and police, and what did they tell me to do?” Pratt said during an interview with CNN, the outlet noted.
“‘Get a gun.’ This is real. I know people don’t like guns, but L.A. was dangerous if you’re hated. So, I got a gun, my wife got a gun,” he added.
Spencer Pratt reveals moment he became a Republican long before his home burned down in Palisades Fire https://t.co/GTQp3tGXYQ
— Daily Mail US (@Daily_MailUS) May 21, 2026
The Hill explained further:
He added that he and his wife, Heidi Montag, needed concealed carry weapon permits, and the “only people” who supported these permits were Republicans. Montag and Pratt were co-stars on “The Hills.”
ADVERTISEMENT“That was what I aligned with: my safety, my personal safety and my family’s safety,” Pratt continued. “I know people don’t like guns, but when people are threatening your life and your own security is telling you you need to have home protection –– trained, too … go through the proper steps.”
The mayoral candidate said he knew gun ownership among Angelenos is a “very hot button” topic before adding that he will place Los Angeles Police Department officers to protect every school in the city from gun violence.
Another former reality show star-turned-politician, President Trump, praised Pratt’s presence in the race.
“I’d like to see him do well,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Commencement, according to the Los Angeles Times. “He’s a character. I heard he’s a big MAGA person. He’s doing well.”
“Obviously I know people don’t like guns and we need to make everything, especially schools, safe. But that is where I connect to,” Pratt said.
“Once you feel fear and it’s real, you want to protect your family,” he added.
Watch below:
Spencer Pratt explains why he is a registered Republican:
“When I was a hated reality star, I got so many death threats
“So I got a gun, my wife got a gun, and then we needed CCWs. The only people that supported a CCW was the Republican.” pic.twitter.com/pRfaA2bQTo
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 21, 2026
More from the New York Post:
During the interview with Michaelson, Pratt also compared himself to Barack Obama when asked which modern politician he aligns most with.
Michaelson also interviewed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who shrugged off questions about her pledge to end street homelessness in the city, blaming “bureaucratic barriers” for her failure to follow through on promises she made when first elected.
ADVERTISEMENTMichaelson is expected to interview mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman on Thursday.
Watch the full interview below:
