NEW: Joy Reid Loses It, Shares Fears That California Is Becoming ‘Apartheid’

Wildfires raging across Southern California have left devastation in their wake, with at least 24 people dead, over 12,000 structures destroyed, and more than 60 square miles scorched by flames. Among the hardest hit are the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, which continue to burn with no end in sight. But for MSNBC’s Joy Reid, the disaster isn’t just an environmental tragedy — it’s a conspiracy orchestrated by the so-called “billionaire right.” Reid unleashed a tirade, painting a dystopian picture of California under a conservative takeover.

“Retrofitted with their ugly right-wing policies, the way they’ve ruined Florida and Texas and every other red state where poverty rates are high and education is warped and non-white immigrants, pregnant women, victimized girls, and LGBTQ folks live in fear, then the fight for permanent control of America is basically over,” Reid said. “They can drill and frack California till the fires this past week pale in comparison. They can rip out all the forests and hand over the land to developers, Florida style.”

“They can drive out the brown people, and the black and Asian people, or just sink them into the same apartheid they’ve created in Texas,” she continued. Reid’s comments were sparked by what she characterized as a coordinated effort by conservatives to transform California into a stronghold that would cement their political dominance nationwide. “They will control enough electoral votes if they control California to never have to worry about another presidential election. The billionaire right knows that they cannot take California, home to Hollywood, San Francisco and Kendrick Lamar by culture. So they’re looking to try to take it with lies and deceit and by fire.”

As Californians struggle to recover from the ongoing wildfires, Reid’s remarks have fueled an already heated debate over the state’s political future. The rapid spread of these fires is attributed to a combination of natural and human-influenced factors. The infamous Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching 99 mph, have accelerated the spread of embers, while severe drought conditions have left vegetation dangerously dry.

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Over 8,500 firefighters have been deployed to combat the blazes. Evacuation orders have affected approximately 172,000 residents in Los Angeles County. The economic impact is substantial, with estimates suggesting potential damages up to $275 billion, according to Business Insider. As of Tuesday, containment efforts are ongoing. The Palisades Fire is 17% contained, the Eaton Fire 35%, and the Hurst Fire 97% contained. However, high winds and dry conditions continue to pose challenges.

Governor Gavin Newsom has also come under the spotlight for slashing California’s firefighting budget by $101 million in June 2024, bringing it down to $2.6 billion. The cut came just before a series of severe wildfires tore through Los Angeles. At the same time, Newsom’s administration allocated $14.7 billion for environmental projects, including the shift towards zero-emission vehicles, and earmarked an additional $100 billion for long-term climate initiatives. Critics contend that these funding choices reflect a preference for political objectives over urgent fire safety measures.