Days into devastating wildfires that have already killed five people and destroyed over a thousand buildings in Los Angeles, the right-wing misinformation machine is running at full speed. And thanks to Meta's conveniently timed announcement that they're ditching fact-checking, these lies are spreading unchecked across Facebook and Instagram. And naturally, Elon Musk’s “X” is a hotbed of falsehoods.

Let's start with Trump, who couldn't even wait for the flames to die down before launching into his greatest hits about California water management. He's claiming Governor Gavin Newsom "refused to sign the water restoration declaration" that would have prevented this disaster. One small problem: This declaration doesn't exist. It's completely made up. State officials from both parties confirmed to local NBC affiliate WXII that there was never any such document.

But reality hasn't stopped Trump's allies from running with this narrative. Elon Musk, James Woods, and the usual suspects are busy building an alternate universe where California's water reservoirs are empty (they're actually "brimming," according to state officials) and the only reason anyone's house burned down is because of "DEI" initiatives at the fire department.

Yes, you read that right. The same people who spent years telling us climate change isn't real are now trying to blame the fires on the fact that the LA Fire Department's chief is a woman. Never mind that Kristin Crowley worked her way up through the ranks for 22 years. Never mind that the department's leadership is still predominantly male. The right has found a way to combine their favorite bogeymen: diversity initiatives, California governance, and climate science.

https://www.readtpa.com/p/the-rights-wildfire-lies-spread-faster