As Thao sought to argue she was the target of conservative backlash, her critics began blaming her for rising crime and cast doubt on her ability to do the job. While crime reports in the city decreased in 2024, her tenure was thrown into turmoil after the FBI raided her home in June in connection with its corruption investigation just two days after the recall petition was certified.

Thao was recalled along with George Soros-backed Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. Oakland will hold a new election for mayor on April 15.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.