US conservatives blame poor California fire response on ‘woke’ policies

Conservatives have attributed the Lost Angeles Fire Department’s perceived failure to prevent and combat the raging wildfires that have devastated the city over the past week to failed diversity policies.

The fires, which have consumed over 20,000 acres, have so far claimed the lives of at least five people and destroyed over 2,000 homes and businesses. More than 100,000 residents have been forced to evacuate as Santa Ana winds continue to fuel the flames. A state of emergency has been declared in the state.

Writing on X on Thursday, Donald Trump Jr. suggested that the democrat-led state’s poor response to the wildfires was the result of the city fire department’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.

“Can we rename DEI to DIE since that’s what seems to happen to the people downstream of those who place woke virtue signaling far above competency,” Trump Jr. wrote.

Others have also pointed out that California had previously reportedly spent some $500 million on DEI initiatives, while liberal media outlets complained about the predominance of white male firefighters.

“Los Angeles deliberately set out to exclude white men from becoming firefighters, and now they don’t have enough firefighters to prevent their city from burning to the ground,” prominent conservative pundit Matt Walsh wrote on X, adding that “DEI is a cancer that destroys everything it touches.”

Meanwhile, users on X have also blasted US President Joe Biden for appearing to ignore the crisis in California and instead focusing on approving an additional $500 million of military aid for Ukraine on Thursday.

Some have noted that the Biden administration had previously even provided 16 Ukrainian fire departments with gear and rescue tools while failing to supply California’s own services with all the necessities to combat the wildfires.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has also faced accusations of prioritizing environmental politics over effective fire management. President-elect Donald Trump has called on Newsom to resign, claiming that he had chosen to protect “an essentially worthless fish” over the people of the state by refusing to sign a bill that would have allowed millions of gallons of water to flow into California.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had also been asked to resign for embarking on a trip to Africa over the weekend despite warnings about an incoming windstorm. Last year, she also slashed the city’s fire department budget by over $17 million.