This is the playbook we’re going to see for every climate disaster going forward. Rather than acknowledge the role of climate change, rather than have honest discussions about infrastructure and emergency preparedness, the right will search for ways to blame their cultural grievances. Everything becomes evidence of their preferred narrative: Hydrant failures become proof of Democratic mismanagement, female leadership becomes proof of “woke” politics gone wrong, and the actual causes get buried under an avalanche of manufactured outrage.
The timing with Meta’s announcement about ending fact-checking is fitting. Just as these fires demonstrate why we desperately need reliable information during disasters, Silicon Valley is busy dismantling the systems designed to provide it. Mark Zuckerberg calls this “getting back to our roots around free expression.” In reality, it’s about appeasing the incoming Trump administration, even if that means letting lies spread as fast as wildfire.
Meanwhile, actual Angelenos are losing their homes, their communities, and in some cases, their lives. The right’s exploitation of this tragedy isn’t just cynical—it’s dangerous. When people can’t get accurate information during disasters, when every crisis becomes fodder for culture war narratives, we all lose. Except, of course, for the people spreading the lies. They’re doing just fine.
