Summary
As California battles its worst wildfire, consuming 28,000 acres and killing five, MAGA figures, including Trump and Elon Musk, blame DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) initiatives instead of climate change.
Trump attacked Gov. Gavin Newsom over false claims about water policies, while right-wing media targeted Kristin Crowley, LA’s first LGBTQ fire chief, for prioritizing DEI.
Musk amplified conspiracy theories, and MAGA commentators linked DEI to the state’s firefighting challenges.
Critics dismissed these claims, citing unprecedented fire strain, climate change, and misinformation.
This is eerily similar to the disinformation campaigns that ran during Australia’s bushfires. So many people were parroting the lie that somehow the Greens with no majority in government sneakily introduced “green tape” that prevented the firefighters from their usual hazard reduction burns. In reality, firefighters were prevented from doing hazard reduction burns due to the increasingly small window to safely do so due to climate change. The situation was so frustrating that the Rural Fire Service had to specifically address all the “bUt whAt aBouT HaZarD REduCtiOn bUrNs” during a press conference
Disinformation and lies are spreading faster than Australia’s bushfires | Bushfires | The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/12/disinformation-and-lies-are-spreading-faster-than-australias-bushfires