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As wildfires continue to sweep through Los Angeles, burning over 28,000 acres, destroying thousands of homes and buildings — including entire neighbourhoods — and claiming at least eleven lives, President-elect Donald Trump, his MAGA supporters, right-wing pundits, conservative media outlets, and far-right conspiracy theorists shifted blame from climate change and months of drought to ‘wokeism’.
While the causes and spread of the wildfire across various regions of California remain subject to debate, a segment of conservatives has pointed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the firefighting department as a factor. Billionaires Elon Musk and Bill Ackman have been among the prominent voices on social media pushing this narrative.
Donald Trump has, however, blamed a small fish called the Delta smelt for the wildfires.
‘DEI MEANS PEOPLE DIE’
Elon Musk has recently shared multiple videos suggesting a connection between the fire department’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and the worsening of wildfires.
The Tesla boss shared a video criticising the fire department’s position, captioning it with, “DEI means people DIE”.
The X chief also referenced Libs of TikTok, a right-wing account that criticised the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) for its “racial equity plan” aimed at addressing “systemic, institutional, and structural racism”.
“They prioritized DEI over saving lives and homes,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, an advocate for the extensive extraction and use of fossil fuels — whose impact on exacerbating extreme weather events is well-documented by the scientific community — seized on the ongoing devastation caused by California’s worst wildfire in history to attack his longstanding political rival, Governor Gavin Newsom. Trump blamed the Democrat’s environmental policies for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to control the raging inferno.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed, “Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration that would have allowed millions of gallons of water from excess rain and snow melt in the North to flow into many parts of California, including areas currently burning in a catastrophic manner”.
He criticised Newsom’s decision to prioritise the protection of a small fish species over the safety of California residents, referring to the smelt as ‘worthless’ and stating, “he didn’t care about the people of California”.
In response, Newsom’s office refuted Trump’s accusations, labelling them as false and pointing out that no such document — the so-called “water restoration declaration” — exists.
Notably, Kristin Crowley has been serving as the chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) since 2022, making history as the department’s first female and first LGBTQ leader. Crowley is facing a wave of anger on social media with many accusing her of being more focused on LGBTQ initiatives than attempting to douse the fire.
