Fox News Host Slams Colleagues Blaming ‘DEI’ For LA Wildfires: ‘So Much Bad’ Info

Fox News host Jessica Tarlov on Thursday ripped her colleagues on “The Five” over their bizarre claims that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are to blame for the response of firefighters battling deadly wildfires in Los Angeles.

In recent days, right-wing critics have turned their attention to a DEI program in California and also picked apart the over two decades of public service by Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley, the first woman and first LGBTQ+ person to lead the department.

“There is so much bad information swirling around about the main players involved in this like the fire chief has been called a DEI hire. I’d take her resume any day,” said Tarlov before she went into Crowley’s background.

“Twenty-four-year vet, paramedic, engineer, fire inspector, captain, battalion chief, fire marshal, deputy chief.”

Earlier in the program, Fox News host Greg Gutfeld appeared to criticize officials who “downgraded competence for complexion and for sexual identity” while remarking on the fires, which have killed at least 10 people and burned at least 10,000 structures in the region.

Jesse Watters would also go on to blame DEI and “corruption” for the devastation at hand.

Gutfeld, after Tarlov went to bat for the fire chief’s record, said his colleague was “proving” his point before the two had a testy exchange on live TV.

“No, I’m not proving your point, she is qualified for that job,” Tarlov shot back.

“You’re proving it because DEI makes everybody suspect, that is the problem, and you guys, you guys paraded it around so now you put it in people’s heads,” declared Gutfeld as Tarlov tried to interject.

“No, you put it in people’s heads, I -,” she replied.

“How? I didn’t back DEI,” he said.

Critics such as Elon Musk have sought to tie DEI initiatives — including those from the LAFD itself — to firefighters’ efforts to contain the spread of the fires despite a lack of evidence showing a connection between them.

There’s also no evidence to suggest that Crowley has emphasized diverse hiring “at the expense of preventing fires,” Forbes noted.

The term “DEI hire” has been used by conservatives as a racist dog whistle to question the qualifications of those seeking, or holding, government positions.

Conservatives hurled the term at officials last year in the aftermath of the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.