Los Angeles news anchor condemns the politicization of wildfires

Elex Michaelson, a news anchor at Fox 11 Los Angeles, brutally reminded elected officials that “people are really hurting” amid the devastating wildfires in his city, while scolding those who tried to politicize the tragedy.

“It is disgusting and gross that any leader would use this opportunity as a moment to score political points,” Michaelson said when asked by progressive podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen what he thinks of President-elect Donald Trump ‘exploiting’ the fires to attack California Governor Gavin Newsom (D).

“And all those people, Democrat or Republican, I invite them to come to Pacific Palisades. Come to Altadena and walk the streets like I did yesterday. Look around you and then say the same thing with a good conscience.

Earlier in the interview published Sunday, Michaelson said officials were “pointing fingers” and there was “not a lot of cooperation going on” publicly amid the fires, which have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

He noted that Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley had stated that to the city her department has failedNewsom sent a letter to the city Department of Water and Energy calling for an investigation in the loss of water pressure to fire hydrants and Trump blamed the fires entirely on the governor.

Right-wing critics have blamed diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for the fires, while Republicans included House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has expressed support for placing conditions on disaster aid for California.

Michaelson later explained in his interview with Cohen that the “reason” we have a government is for situations like Los Angeles, where leaders can provide a “safety net” for residents.

‘And if the government does not get its measures in order, it will be disastrous not only for the people affected, but also for the economy of this country, this province, this state. It is disastrous for everyone,” he said.

He further noted that Trump has made a name for himself in the real estate industry and as a “builder,” so he welcomes the president-elect to “show how good he is at building.”

‘Come in here and show everyone how it’s done. If Democrats can’t do it right, you can do it better,” Michaelson said.

“I don’t care who does it, but someone has to do it because these people need help.”