‘tRumputinists’ MAGA 'misinformation, disinformation' on LA wildfires.

The death toll in Los Angeles County has climbed to at least ten as a result of devastating wildfires that have inflicted major destruction in Pacific Palisades as well as parts of the San Gabriel Valley and the Hollywood Hills.

President-elect Donald Trump and others on the far right have responded by blaming California Gov. Gavin Newsom and California's water policies.

But former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele is arguing that "politicized crap" from MAGA Republicans isn't the least bit helpful — and does nothing to promote disaster preparedness.

During a Friday morning, January 10 appearance on MSNBC, Steele — a Never Trump conservative who supported Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election — told "Morning Joe" hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski and their colleague Jen Psaki, "You have this convergence of the infrastructure issues, the environmental issues, the misunderstanding of what that urban sprawl actually meant to the infrastructures. So…. it's not that the fire hydrants don't have water in them, it's that we can't get water to them… So, people are sitting here in the moment: what are you doing to contain this, to get control of it?"

Steele continued, "And it has been a political narrative that has not helped, coupled with the crap that is on social media. The misinformation, the disinformation that then becomes politicized because the leadership in California is Democratic, et cetera."

The former RNC chair was highly critical of overtly partisan responses to the Los Angeles County wildfires.

Steele argued, "Right now, the focus has gotta be on the governor and the mayor coordinating with as many of the folks on the ground…. to get this thing contained…. And then, you can do that deeper dive into: How do we avoid this in the future? Because it will happen again."

'Essence of fascism'

A soap opera actor unloaded on Donald Trump during an interview with CNN after evacuating his California home as wildfires approached.

Eric Braeden, the 83-year-old "Young and the Restless" star, appeared on the network after posting dramatic video on his Instagram account showing him flee his home as the flames advanced on his property, and he told host Laura Coates the fires were the most terrifying he had experienced in over 40 years in the area.

“It’s the price we pay for living in this beautiful area,” Braeden said. “California’s a fantastic state. It’s one of the most productive states in the nation — not according to the orange idiot who will take over on the 25th of January or whatever, but it is truly one of the most productive states ever in the United States.”

The actor didn't identify the president-elect, who will be inaugurated Jan. 20, by name, but he clearly had Trump in mind when he defended Gov. Gavin Newsom from his social media attacks.

“To be very frank with you, I think everyone is really trying to do their damn best, okay, and some idiot, the orange idiot, went on television, and some your fellow network, and claimed all kinds of things about [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom and California and the water distribution – all nonsense," Braeden said. “What some of these characters are now disseminating on one particular network and on some podcasts is outrageous and very damaging to our nation."

Braeden was born in Germany during World War II and grew up amidst the devastation, and he saw some parallels between the Nazis and the incoming administration.

“This is a great nation, trust me, I know whereof I speak," Braeden said. "I come from a nation that believed in fascist ideology for a while, and we certainly will not want to go into that again. But we are close to it because people want to simplify complex problems. The essence of fascism is to simplify complex problems and feed people who don’t have time to read some bull----.”