CNN panelists faced off Wednesday over the recent politicization of the Los Angeles wildfires.
Pundit Scott Jennings called Donald Trump’s recent comments justified and deserving of the ire of a left-wing U.S. representative from Texas.
Elsewhere, figures like Megyn Kelly took to the airwaves separately to accuse officials of prioritizing DEI training over making preparations.
Trump made that claim again Thursday after firefighters battling the flames had to deal with hydrants that had little to no water. Officials have responded by blaming “huge demand.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom accused him of trying to “politicize” the tragedy as the fire quickly became the most destructive in the state’s history.
On the set of CNN’s NewsNightthese claims culminated in an argument, when Jennings made a point against the state’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
He drew on a 2023 report on a taxpayer-funded bid to diversify California’s fire departments, which at the time were reportedly dominated by white men.
He concluded that Newsom’s progressive politics were at least partly to blame, prompting a visible response from host Abby Phillip, South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson and Dallas Democrat Jasmine Crockett. The latter was particularly concerned and launched a response.
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CNN panelists faced off on the set of CNN NewsNight on Wednesday over the recent politicization of the LA wildfires. Pundit Scott Jennings (left) called Donald Trump’s recent comments blaming the state’s leadership justified, earning the ire of Dallas Democrat Jasmine Crockett
Meanwhile, the fire continues to burn, with more than 1,000 buildings affected and more than 130,000 under evacuation orders or warnings. Firefighters battling the flames have had to deal with hydrants containing little to no water
“We look at qualifications,” the 43-year-old representative of Texas’ 30th Congressional District began.
“What diversity, equity and inclusion has always been about is saying, ‘You know what, open this up,’” she continued. ‘Don’t just look at the white men. Open it up and recognize that other people may be qualified.”
She further asserted that if people from different backgrounds “have been good enough to build this country, we are good enough to serve and die abroad, and we are good enough to serve in other ways.”
The Missouri-born former attorney then appeared to suggest Jennings had misjudged his assessment before offering him some brief advice.
“Stop pretending that only white men are capable, because right now you’re sitting at the table with three very capable black women.”
The latter involved herself, Phillip and final panelist Stacey Plaskett, Democratic Representative of the Virgin Islands.
Jennings, however, did not back down, claiming Crockett had misunderstood his comments.
“I’m not,” said the strategist who emerged, as the station’s Republican said. “I’m just saying that, as a matter of public policy in California, the fire department’s primary interest lately has been DEI programs and budget cuts.”
Jennins’ comments drew a visible response from host Abby Phillip, South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson and Virgin Islands Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, but Crockett was the one who seemed to take the most offense.
The Missouri-born attorney said Jennings was wrong after she tried to blame the crisis on progressives putting a premium on DEI: “Stop trying to pretend that only white men can do that.” she said. ‘You are sitting at the table with three very capable black women’
The commenter clarified, “No, I blame the Democrats running the state.” He previously said that “if (he) was a Democrat from California, (he) would also scream politicization, because (he) wouldn’t want anyone to draw attention to my management of this”
This prompted Phillip to ask Jennings, “Are we really blaming the fire department? The LA Fire Department?”
The conservative commentator clarified, “No, I blame the Democrats who run the state.”
He previously told the audience that “if (he) were a California Democrat, (he) would also scream politicization because (he) wouldn’t want anyone to draw attention to my handling of this or the decision-making.”
“I don’t think it’s politicizing anything to draw attention to public policy choices, and whether it’s the governor, whether it’s the mayor of L.A., whether you look at things that are happening in the city, like cutting the budget for firefighters.
“They are not able to build a water storage facility, which would have been helpful,” he continued, saying city and state officials are somewhat at a loss as to how a crisis of such magnitude could have arisen.
“I think if I lived there, I would have these questions right now,” Jennings, 47, continued.
“Congress, by the way, is going to spend a lot of money here, and they’re going to have to, some of these issues have to be addressed.”
He further stated that the timing of Trump’s comments — which some have criticized — was a good thing, saying, “I think most taxpayers are going to want to see policy changes so that we don’t have to repeat this in the future.” the future.’
Photos and time-lapse videos, meanwhile, continue to show the sheer scale of the destruction, the worst in California’s wildfire history
California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused Trump of trying to “politicize” the tragedy as the president has only just been elected
Officials have cut the city’s fire brigade budget by as much as $17.6 million this financial year, records show – as the numbers continue to diverge and cast blame on the unfolding disaster.
Kelly, meanwhile, used her podcast to make similar claims, publicly accusing Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley of “focusing on diversity” instead of planning for such a disaster.
She further pointed to a recent interview in which Crowley expressed a desire to increase the number of women and LGBTQ+ people in the service, prompting an expletive-filled response.
“Who cares if the fire chief is gay,” she said. ‘We don’t care about your lady parts, and we don’t care who you want to have access to them. Can you put out fires, can you make sure there is water in the hydrants?’
As she spoke, walls of fire engulfed entire neighborhoods, while Democratic LA Mayor Karen Bass was criticized for taking a trip to Africa before the blaze – and a blundering press conference was called on her return on Wednesday.
“If you need help, emergency information, resources and shelter are available. All this can be found at URL,” the mayor told the audience, without providing a website address afterwards.
She has cut her city’s fire budget by as much as $17.6 million this fiscal year, records show.
Meanwhile, the fire continues to burn, with more than 1,000 buildings affected and more than 130,000 under evacuation orders or warnings. Photos and time-lapse videos have shown the enormity of the destruction.