US right wing fans misinformation fires as firefighters battle Los Angeles blazes [View all]

Source: The Guardian

Fri 10 Jan 2025 06.00 EST
Last modified on Fri 10 Jan 2025 07.55 EST


As Los Angeles firefighters battle ongoing blazes, prominent rightwing figures are spreading bigoted criticism of the response and lies about who is to blame, including that the fire is raging because of diversity within the fire department.

The misinformation echoes the claims that plagued the North Carolina hurricane response. Both disasters led to outrage, which partisan actors seized upon to advance their political goals, muddying the already confusing information ecosystem that accompanies a fast-moving news event.

In what has become a common theme, rightwing media and commentary have said that diversity within the Los Angeles fire departmentis to blame for the devastation.

“Meet Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley,” the X account Libs of TikTok, known for spreading anti-LBGTQ+ rhetoric, posted. “She boasts about being the first female and LGBTQ fire chief in the LA Fire Department. Promoting a culture of DEI is her priority. Does this make you feel safer?” In another tweet, the same account, which has nearly 4 million followers, wrote: “DEI will get people k*lled. DEI must DIE.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/10/rightwing-misinformation-los-angeles-fire