Conservatives Blame "DEI" for Los Angeles Wildfires

Ethan Swope / AP

As I am writing this, five of nine fires started this week are currently devastating the Greater Los Angeles area. Tens of thousands of acres have been burned, thousands have been displaced, and at least 5 people have been killed. In a time when our nation should be coming together to support one another, several Republican voices have chosen division.

Blame it on DEI

Newsmax, an ultra-rightwing conservative news channel spared no time rushing to blame the lesbian, Los Angeles Fire Chief for the blazes saying “Please do not be fooled by what you’re hearing from the media. These are not once-in-a-generation wildfires. This is not climate change. In Los Angeles, it’s the exact same story. Death by DEI, this time with their brand new fire chief.”

At the same time Matt Walsh, known for not knowing what a woman is, took to Twitter to blame "lack of white male firefighters" for the lack of fire containment.

Scapegoating is the Playbook

None of this rhetoric is new. It's honestly disheartening to see people fall for the same old tricks over, and over again. Minority groups have often been used as scapegoats, especially for things related to climate collapse.

For instance, Preacher Pat Robertson once blamed 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina on gay people's existence. Pastor Tony Perkins blamed hurricane flooding on the legalization of gay marriage. James Dobson blamed Sandy Hook on abortion/gay marriage. And just this past November, Tucker Carlson blamed the volatile hurricane season on abortion. Marjorie Taylor Green even accused Jewish people of having weather-controlling space lasers.

After Hurricane Harvey ravaged Houston, Ann Coulter took to Twitter to say "I don't believe Hurricane Harvey is God's punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor. But that is more credible than 'climate change'."

These "correlations" seem very reasonable for the kind of people who struggle to think and walk at the same time, but for most of us, these accusations go beyond conspiracy and straight to insane.

What Can We Do?

In the face of natural disasters, our focus should be on unity, resilience, and action—not scapegoating marginalized communities or amplifying baseless conspiracies. The rhetoric of division does nothing to address the root causes of these crises, such as climate change or inadequate infrastructure. Instead, it deflects attention from real solutions and fosters a culture of fear and hatred.

We cannot afford to let these outdated and harmful narratives distract us. Lives are at stake, and it’s time for us to demand accountability, compassion, and a commitment to progress over propaganda.