Turning Point USA founder and MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk was harshly criticized after he claimed the death toll in the flash floods that have devastated central Texas "would not have been as high if it wasn't for DEI," ridiculously suggesting that principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion were responsible.
Kirk's comments are reflective of President Donald Trump’s broader push to dismantle federal programs focused on diversity and inclusion—part of what he pledged in his inaugural address would be a campaign to stop attempts to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”
And offensively, he claimed that the disaster's high death toll had nothing to do with the weather that resulted in the torrential downpour that caused the Guadalupe River to overflow, worsening the devastation.
Kirk said:
"The Democrats are so despicable. The Democrats are not lifting a finger to remember the well over 100 people that have died in Texas Hill Country. What you are not being told by the media anywhere is that the death toll likely would not have been as high if it wasn't for DEI."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Specifically, Kirk railed against Austin Fire Chief Joel G. Baker, whom he referred to as "a DEI fire chief."
Authorities have confirmed at least 120 deaths across six counties, including 60 adults and 36 children in Kerr County. With 173 people still missing, the hope of locating survivors has diminished, and search-and-rescue efforts along the Guadalupe River have now entered a recovery phase.
And Kirk's remarks ignore the reality of the situation—namely that actions by Republicans ultimately worsened the impact of the disaster.
Questions are mounting about the future of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after Trump’s recent remarks about potentially "getting rid of" it. His comments sharply contrast with those of his former Vice President, Mike Pence, who told CNN that "the question of FEMA's role is one that probably ought to be debated now going forward."
Pence emphasized FEMA’s "central role" in supporting states during disasters, noting that "the ability to be on the ground getting resources directly to the American people to help rebuild their lives is important and should be sustained."
Meanwhile, Democrats are calling on Governor Greg Abbott to include emergency disaster preparedness and relief in the Legislature’s upcoming special session on July 21. The people of Texas continue to raise questions about the effectiveness of current warning systems and whether more could have been done in advance to prevent the loss of life.
And in fact, Kirk's remarks conveniently ignore the fact that he supported the efforts of billionaire Elon Musk's advisory Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that have adversely impacted the nation's preparedness systems. Moreover, severe cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service (NWS) have compromised the ability of meteorologists to deliver accurate forecasts.
Kirk was swiftly called out and people pointed out all the flaws in his line of thinking.
State officials have admitted they were unprepared for the volume of rain that hit the region.
What legislative actions might follow remains unclear as lawmakers prepare to reconvene in Austin later this month. Abbott originally called the special session to address Texas Hill Country regulation, but under state law, he has the power to expand the session’s agenda.
Earlier this year, at least one bill aimed at improving disaster response in rural counties failed to pass. The measure would have established an Interoperability Council to coordinate emergency response and infrastructure planning, and would have offered grants to local governments to purchase emergency communications equipment.
