Elon Musk blames LA wildfires on diversity, equity, and inclusion

Wildfires have claimed at least ten lives, with the damage still unfolding as fire crews continue to battle the blazes

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Amid the devastating wildfires ravaging Los Angeles this week, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has sparked another controversy by using his social media platform, X, to blame the fires on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.

In a tweet, Musk claimed that the Los Angeles Fire Department prioritised "DEI over saving lives and homes," responding to a post from the far-right account.

The post had alleged that the fire department focused on racial diversity within its staff, a claim Musk linked to the ongoing wildfire disaster.

Musk’s comments have drawn widespread criticism, with many pointing out that the causes of the fires are far more complex.

Experts have consistently cited climate change as a major driver of extreme wildfires, while severe budget cuts to emergency services and the use of prison labor to fight fires have also been identified as key factors in the fire-fighting challenges facing the city.

The wildfires in California have claimed at least ten lives, with the damage still unfolding as fire crews continue to battle the blazes.

Musk’s comments have further stoked tensions on social media, with some users spreading unfounded claims of looting and other panic-driven narratives in the aftermath of the fires.

In response to Musk’s remarks, critics have highlighted how the claim oversimplifies the issue and promotes harmful, racially charged narratives.

This is not the first time Musk has attracted attention for controversial remarks related to DEI initiatives. Last year, Musk faced backlash from civil rights organisations after he endorsed a tweet suggesting that Black students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) had lower IQs and should not pursue careers as pilots. He has also made unsupported claims that DEI is "just another word for racism."

The recent remarks about the wildfires come as part of a broader trend of polarising rhetoric from Musk, who has increasingly used his platform to promote far-right viewpoints and fuel divisive narratives. His comments are seen by many as part of a growing wave of conspiracy theories that continue to gain traction on social media platforms.

The controversy surrounding Musk’s tweet comes as social media platforms, including Meta, have made headlines for removing curbs on hate speech and misinformation.

According to a Reuters report from October 2024, Elon Musk secretly provided financial support to a conservative political organization in recent years, highlighting his backing for right-wing causes even before he publicly endorsed US President Donald Trump-elects campaign in July.

Sources familiar with the donations revealed that Musk's contributions to Building America's Future, a group critical of the Biden administration and progressive policies, began as early as 2022.

Two of these sources disclosed that Musk's donations reached into the millions, providing a significant boost to the group’s advertising and social media campaigns targeting the current administration and liberal political platforms that Musk has increasingly opposed.

Elon Musk's alignment with far-right ideology goes global

US tech billionaire Elon Musk's growing alignment with far-right political movements has also raised global alarms.

Recently, Musk used his platform on X to criticise the UK’s Labour government over its response to a historic child abuse scandal, marking another instance of his involvement in foreign political issues.

In the proces he endorsed an anti-Pakistan narrative peddled by an Indian lawmaker linked to the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a party documented to have sought inspiration from Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party.

This is not Musk’s first controversial political stance.

He has previously expressed support for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has been mired in scandals linked to neo-Nazi affiliations.

AfD leader Björn Höcke, who heads the party’s parliamentary group in Thuringia, has faced multiple convictions for using Nazi slogans at rallies. The party itself is considered a suspected extremist group by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, and its youth wing has been officially labeled as extremist.

Musk’s support for the AfD has drawn sharp criticism from Germany’s political establishment, with officials accusing him of foreign interference. Some have even compared his actions to the influence exerted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, fueling concerns about Musk's growing alignment with far-right ideologies on the global stage.