Social media is buzzing with reactions after Lara Trump, the former RNC co-chair, questioned why climate change was being blamed for the devastating wildfires in Southern California. Speaking on Fox News with Sean Hannity, she expressed confusion about how climate change could be connected to the lack of water needed to fight the flames that have claimed at least 25 lives and scorched thousands of acres.
With a banner reading “Liberal jurisdictions double down on climate alarmism” behind her, Lara Trump asked, “Why is no one taking the blame for the fact that there wasn’t enough water to fight these fires?”
She then continued, “I really want someone to explain how climate change is responsible for dry reservoirs and fire hydrants with no water.”
Her remarks didn’t sit well with many online, who quickly took to social media to voice their opinions.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) responded, “How dumb can you be?” while political scientist Norman Ornstein added his disbelief with, “Does she really not know about the drought?”
Another comment read, “These are the people who want to scrap the Department of Education,” highlighting the growing frustration with the lack of understanding surrounding the issues at hand.
Officials have discussed the impact that the wildfires have had on the local water system. Janisse Quiñones, Chief Engineer at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, shared at a briefing last week how the system was pushed to its limits due to the huge demand.
The situation worsened when a 117 million-gallon reservoir in Pacific Palisades, which could have helped, was under repair and out of use. But even if it had been operational, officials noted that it wouldn’t have “saved the day” due to the extreme conditions.
The official cause of the fires is still under investigation, but the critical fire weather and strong winds are believed to have contributed to the spread of the flames. These winds not only fueled the fires but also initially made it difficult for crews to perform aerial water drops.
Lara Trump also took aim at California’s leadership during the crisis, asking, “Was it climate change that caused the $17 million cut in the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget?” and, “Did climate change mess up the forestry management?”
Although the LA Fire Department did experience a budget cut of $17.6 million last fiscal year, Mayor Karen Bass reassured the public that these reductions did not impact the firefighting efforts. She stressed that “there were no reductions that affected the situation we were dealing with in the last few days.”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has continued to point fingers at President Joe Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom for the water shortages, claiming that their leadership was to blame.
As the fires rage on, it’s clear that climate change, water shortages, and political finger-pointing are all being debated, leaving many wondering what can really be done to address the growing climate crisis.
The debate continues to unfold, and while some argue over the causes, others are already calling for action before the next disaster strikes.
