Conservatives and the MAGA crowd have been spreading easily disproven conspiracy theories and right-wing bigoted rhetoric in the wake of every natural disaster brought on by climate change.
The current County of Los Angeles, California wildfires are no exception with women, liberals, Democrats, LGBTQ+ people, and DEI all being blamed.
MAGA minion and Fox News host Jesse Watters recently told his viewers:
"It gets worse. [California Governor Gavin Newsom has] been tearing down dams. Why? Because the Indians wanted some of the river back so they could catch salmon."
"Gavin didn't just knock down one dam for the Indians, he knocked down all four."
"And these dams were a go-to source for firefighters to pull water from to fight fires up north. Gavin's literally tearing down western civilization for fish and Indians."
"Nothing against the Indians, I love the Indians. But really?"
On Monday, The View hosts discussed the wildfires, at which point Sunny Hostin addressed Watters' remarks.
She stated:
"In terms of politicizing this fire, that's what I have been most disgusted by."
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Hostin highlighted the aid being offered by Mexico and Canada—despite the childish comments made by incoming President Donald Trump attacking their nations.
She then called out the misinformation Fox News host Jess Watters decided to feature instead of mentioning or thanking the USA's neighbors for the assist.
Hostin said:
"...I applaud Mexico and Canada for helping, but what I don’t applaud is someone like Jesse Watters on Fox News."
"This is what he said. He blamed L.A. fires on diversity. He blamed them on California's woke–"
Whoopi Goldberg interjected:
"Maybe because one [fire] was burning bright and one was burning darker? Is tha the kind of diversity he's talking about?"
Hostin responded:
"It was unbelievable. I thought it was fake news."
"[Jesse Watters] said that California's woke politics and DEI are the reasons for the fires because [Governor] Newsom has been tearing down dams because Native Americans—but [Watters] called them 'Indians'—wanted some of the river back so they could catch salmon..."
After sharing the Fox News host's hot take, Hostin shared her rebuttal:
"I'm sorry. It's stolen land, first of all. California is stolen land."
"Second , what always happens, there's [conservation assessments] of the dams."
Hostin called out the right-wing talking head's deliberate half-truths and blatant lies to push a patriarchal, White supremacist, Christian nationalist agenda that blames everything on anyone who isn't them.
"So that was just complete not only misinformation, but it was racist."
"And I think we need to also call stuff like that out. It's happening."
MSNBC's Joy Reid took Watters to task for his bigoted misinformation as well.
On Monday’s ReidOut, she played clips of Watters' broadcasts after telling her audience about his blame game.
Reid said:
"[Fox News] blamed everything from DEI and the mayor [of Los Angeles] being Black and the L.A. fire chief being a lesbian to—and I am not joking here—the Indigenous for the fires."
"Oh, the arrogance of the colonizers’ spirit."
Many agreed with Hostin's label—racist—for Watters' anti-Native misinformation.
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The dam removals Watters keeps blaming were part of a long-planned restoration of the Klamath River ecosystem proposed and supported by Indigenous Tribal nations, environmental and conservation groups, scientists, state officials, and federal government officials.
The dams removed were also located hundreds of miles north of Los Angeles County.
While Watters blames them for the wildfires, Indigenous peoples are stepping up to offer aid.
According to a report in Indigenous media outlet ICT, the Klamath Tribes of Oregon sent a fire engine and crew to the Eaton Fire. Twenty-three members of the renowned Navajo Scouts firefighting team traveled from Window Rock, Arizona to L.A. County.
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The Pechanga Tribe of Southern California donated $500,000 to assist Los Angeles fire victims of the Palisades and Eaton Fires.
In addition to their financial contribution, the Pechanga Fire Department deployed personnel, equipment, and resources to the fires and their logistical command centers since Tuesday, January 7.
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