Seth Meyers praised Los Angeles firefighters and emergency workers who have been helping around the clock to put out the devastating blazes across the city.
“It’s a harrowing tragedy of unimaginable devastation, and we, first and foremost, want to send our thoughts and our love to everyone who’s been affected,” Meyers said at the top of his A Closer Look segment.
“The images are surreal. The loss is incalculable, but in the face of that loss, friends and neighbors and strangers alike are banding together to help one another. The bravery of firefighters and emergency workers has been second to none. No firefighter should ever have to pay for a beer or, because it’s LA, a matcha smoothie ever again. The kindness and compassion and resourcefulness and solidarity on display have been nothing short of breathtaking and awe inspiring,” he added.
Afterwards, however, Meyers turned to a regular enemy: Donald Trump. The NBC host slammed the former and soon-to-be current President’s response to the tragedy, where he blamed Governor Gavin Newsom and a made up document – the Water Restoration declaration – as well as fish.
“Trump is lying about water, this time, the water that brave firefighters are using to battle the wildfires,” Meyers said. “The firefighters are doing courageous work. And then there’s the President elect, who has decided to chime in, not to help, but to spread bullshit that will just make the emergency response more difficult.”
On The Daily Show, host Desi Lydic also took on Trump’s response to the tragedy, which has affected hundreds of thousands of people in Southern California.
“The story dominating the news right now is the Los Angeles wildfires. There’s been so many challenges as LA workers try to control these fires, like water shortages and manpower shortages, but there’s one thing that we have an endless supply of: good old fashioned, made in America, blame,” she said. “Of course, one of the country’s leading blame producers is Donald Trump.”
Trump has also been blaming Newsom for policies related to the Delta smelt fish. “For the record, no, the LA fires have nothing to do with smelt. But in Trump’s defense, words are hard, and smelt only has one syllable, while climate change has three,” Lydic said.
She also poked fun at the Republican response to the fires, blaming diversity hiring policies. “Women can’t be firefighters? They let dogs be firefighters,” she joked.
Last night, The Late Show‘s Stephen Colbert provided details of resources that people can use to help those affected. “We know that people of Los Angeles are resourceful, and kind and are doing everything they can to help one another and we here want to send our love and concern to all of the residents of LA who are facing what is being described as the most destructive fire in the city’s history.”
