ABC News anchor David Muir became the center of attention recently, but not for his reporting. Instead, people noticed a wooden clamp on his jacket during his coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires. Social media users called him “narcissistic” for using the clamp to make his jacket look better on TV.
ABC’s ‘narcissistic’ David Muir roasted for sprucing up ‘svelte’ looks while reporting on deadly LA fires https://t.co/qfZwkskSli pic.twitter.com/Zf3B5YrlRA
— New York Post (@nypost) January 9, 2025
Below are some Twitter reactions:
why is he still employed? @ABC
— DEPLORABLE ULTRA MAGA Susan (@susanbnj) January 9, 2025
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@DavidMuir glad to see where your priorities are…you would think that embarrassing debate would have humbled you a bit. Clearly you have learned nothing. This is why legacy media is going extinct.
— Victoria Wernimont (@VLW23) January 9, 2025
ABC’s ‘narcissistic’ David Muir roasted for sprucing up ‘svelte’ looks while reporting on deadly LA fires
— STELLA 🪄 (@Stella_Mary_) January 9, 2025
Typical narcissist
— Sha (@Carrot4547) January 9, 2025
Welp. Narcissist is, as Narcissist does @ABC
— blizzly.eth (@YoBlizzly) January 9, 2025
While this moment created a lot of buzz, the real story lies elsewhere – in the devastating wildfires and the leadership failures behind them. The wildfires in Los Angeles have destroyed neighborhoods, left many people homeless, and caused terrible damage. These fires show how unprepared California is to handle such disasters. Years of poor management, bad policies, and climate change have made the problem worse.
President Donald Trump quickly blamed California’s Governor Gavin Newsom for the fires. He even called for Newsom to resign, saying the fires were because of “gross incompetence.” But let’s remember Trump’s own record on climate issues.
Trump has a long history of ignoring climate science. He once called climate change a “hoax.” In 2017, he pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement, which was a global plan to fight climate change. This decision set the country back in addressing the very issues that make wildfires worse, like rising temperatures and dry conditions.
In 2018, Trump gave a bizarre suggestion to prevent fires. He said, “You’ve got to take care of the floors. You know the floors of the forest, very important.” Experts and scientists laughed at this statement because fire prevention is much more complicated than raking leaves.
Republicans often blame others when things go wrong. During these wildfires, right-wing commentators like Megyn Kelly accused officials of focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) instead of fire prevention. Kelly said, “This is what happens when you prioritize DEI over safety.” This argument is misleading. DEI programs have nothing to do with the causes of wildfires. Instead, it’s just another attempt by Republicans to distract people from the real issue: their lack of action on climate change.
Although Muir’s appearance sparked a viral reaction, a source familiar with the broadcast later explained the situation. The source, speaking to Mediaite, revealed that the clamp was not part of Muir’s vanity but a necessary fix before going on air. “This was 30 seconds before air, a producer stepped in to try to fix [his] coat in the wind. This had nothing to do with David Muir asking for anything,” the source clarified.
Despite the viral post generating a lot of negativity, with one commenter calling Muir a “tool” and another lamenting the decline of journalism, the explanation sheds light on the situation. Muir didn’t ask for the adjustments, and it was simply a quick solution to an unexpected wardrobe issue caused by strong winds.
Wildfires are becoming more common and more destructive because of climate change. Rising temperatures dry out trees and plants, turning them into fuel for fires. Strong winds spread the flames faster, making it harder to control them. Under Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolled back over 100 environmental protections. This included rules that reduced carbon emissions, which are a big cause of global warming. These rollbacks didn’t just hurt California – they made the entire country more vulnerable to disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, and floods.
To prevent more disasters, we need leaders who take climate change seriously. This means investing in clean energy, improving forest management, and making policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Education is also key. People need to understand how bad leadership and poor policies make problems like wildfires worse. The focus should be on solutions, not distractions like David Muir’s jacket.
Featured image via Screengrab
