Conservative condemnation of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives reached new heights Wednesday when MAGA world laid blame on its frequent boogeyman for the disastrous California wildfires.
And political observers across social media are taking note.
The internet began to chime in Wednesday evening when it became clear that conservatives were baselessly attacking DEI for yet another catastrophe days after connecting the bloody New Orleans ramming attack to the same initiatives.
“Conservatives and Donald Trump Jr out here blaming the devastating fires on DEI,” journalist Wajahat Ali wrote to his Bluesky followers. “Not climate change or other environmental factors. Nope. DEI. They never miss an opportunity to be hateful.”
“Much like the discourse that followed the fires in Canada and Hawaii in recent years, conspiracy theorists are blaming the California fires on DEI, homelessness, ‘anti-whiteness’ and weather modification,” Sara Aniano, a disinformation analyst at the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism, posted to her Bluesky account. “Conspiracy theorists always recycle, and the internet always rewards.”
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Other users took to social media to respond to tech billionaire and Donald Trump ally Elon Musk’s remark that the LA Fire Department “prioritized DEI over saving lives and homes.”
“Whenever there is a tragedy, you can count on Musk to argue that the root of the problem is not enough white people are in charge,” Progressive journalist Judd Legum posted Wednesday on Bluesky above a screenshot of Musk’s X post.
“Speaking as someone whose life is currently being saved by the LA firefighters, I think they're doing fine,” writer Alex Kirshner told his followers on Bluesky.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) defended DEI initiatives during a CNN panel discussion after some on the right questioned Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.
“I am so tired,” Crockett said. “And the fact that people actually decide that they want to engage in public service – whether it's sitting in Congress or whether it's serving on the fire department or the police department – should not be an issue. The fact is, stop trying to act as if only white men are the ones that are capable because right now you're sitting at a table with three very capable Black women."
The progressive advocacy group Public Citizen wrote in an X post that climate change was the real culprit behind the fires that have killed at least five and destroyed hundreds of structures.
“Climate change is making natural disasters like wildfires worse & more frequent. Full stop,” the group told its followers. “But the far right doesn't like facts, so they'll blame everything else, even DEI and Ukraine. Instead, they'll keep letting Big Oil kill the planet and find a new scapegoat.”