
We are nearing the one-week mark since several devastating fires broke out across Los Angeles, California. The largest blaze, the Pacific Palisades Fire, has burned over 23,000 acres and is currently 14% contained. The Eaton Fire, which is further inland, has charred more than 14,000 acres and is 33% contained.
According to reports, more than 13,000 structures have been destroyed, nearly 200,000 residents have been evacuated—though some have now returned—and the death toll stands at 24, with the number expected to increase.
Related: Controversy Erupts as Disney Star Promotes Fundraiser While LA Burns
As the wildfires wreak havoc across Los Angeles, displacing thousands and claiming lives, ABC anchor David Muir has unexpectedly become the focus of online criticism—not for his reporting, but for his choice of wardrobe.
Muir, the host of World News Tonight, traveled to Los Angeles to cover the fires, which include the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Fires. Amid his coverage, Muir donned a flame-retardant jacket, a practical choice for his safety in hazardous conditions.
However, his outfit sparked a debate on social media after an X (formerly Twitter) user took issue with the way his jacket was pinned for the broadcast.
Nice Jacket Bro. Glad you look nice and svelte with those clothes line pegs, while our city burns to the ground.
Nice Jacket Bro. Glad you look nice and svelte with those clothes line pegs, while our city burns to the ground. @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/bGQ3zvF6lr
— Jack Osbourne (@JackOsbourne) January 9, 2025
Related: Wildfires Continue: Thousands of Disney Cast Members Affected, Bob Iger Announces $15 Million in Aid
The post quickly gained traction, with some agreeing that the jacket looked staged for aesthetic purposes, rather than practical necessity. The criticism snowballed into a viral discussion, with others labeling the pinning of the jacket as “narcissistic.”
Despite the backlash, many came to Muir’s defense, pointing out the realities of live reporting in extreme weather. Brian Tyler Cohen, a prominent political commentator, countered the criticism on X, writing:
My God, the state of rightwing media today is a joke. We’re now on day two – TWO! – of a nonstory about David Muir using a clothespin to keep his jacket tight, assuredly so that his loose jacket wouldn’t interfere with his lav mic in the intense winds.
My God, the state of rightwing media today is a joke. We’re now on day two – TWO! – of a nonstory about David Muir using a clothespin to keep his jacket tight, assuredly so that his loose jacket wouldn’t interfere with his lav mic in the intense winds. pic.twitter.com/Dg4tuTBAlm
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) January 10, 2025
While the online debate raged on, Page Six reported that insiders at ABC were taken aback by the focus on Muir’s appearance. Some critics within the network reportedly labeled the incident a “fashion misstep” and even speculated on Muir’s tendency toward self-promotion.
We’re told people at the network were “embarrassed and horrified” by the gaffe. Multiple insiders pointed to Muir’s Instagram account, which features the physically fit newsman regularly broodily mugging in form-fitting T-shirts with extra-short sleeves that show off his physique.
But sources also told us that the fashion-world move of cinching a jacket is par for the course for one of ABC’s leading men.
A source told Page Six of the anchor: “His narcissism is quite large in the sense of this kind of thing. I like David, except for this part of him. Anderson [Cooper], [Chris] Cuomo wear all the [muscle shirts], but they would never wear this [during a wildfire].”
Related: LA Fires Leave Disney Celebrities Grappling with Personal Loss
Former colleagues Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes also supported Muir, emphasizing the realities of live news production.
They explained that producers or assistants often make decisions about wardrobe adjustments to ensure effective broadcasting, especially in challenging environments like wildfire zones.
“The perspective might be missing if you’re just reading tweets. The perspective might be missing in that, often times – and I don’t know if he does – travel with a producer or even a wardrobe person whose job is – you might be looking at your phone, getting the latest, looking at notes or doing something, and people are pulling and plugging things onto you, the mic and the IFB [in-ear monitor] and all these things. You don’t even know what’s happening to you, and someone could’ve made the decision of ‘Let me do this with the jacket.’ We don’t know.”
As the conversation around Muir’s attire overshadowed his reporting, the severity of the wildfires continued to unfold. Thousands of firefighters remain on the front lines battling relentless flames, while residents face displacement and loss.
Relief organizations such as the California Fire Foundation and World Central Kitchen have stepped up efforts to provide support for affected communities.
California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund: https://www.cafirefoundation.org/what-we-do/for-communities/disaster-relief
California Community Foundation: https://www.calfund.org/funds/wildfire-recovery-fund/
World Central Kitchen World Central Kitchen: https://donate.wck.org/give/499865/?_gl=1*1xkrdmj*_gcl_au*MTk5MDIxMzExMS4xNzM2Mzc0ODk2*_ga*ODkwNjgzOTc0LjE3MzYzNzQ4OTY.*_ga_5WKVY8503C*MTczNjM4MzQ3OS4yLjAuMTczNjM4MzQ4MC41OS4wLjA.#!/donation/checkout?c_src=navbar
Dream Center: https://dcf.dreamcenter.org/relief
Direct Relief: https://www.directrelief.org/emergency/california-wildfires/
The California Community Fund: https://www.calfund.org/funds/wildfire-recovery-fund/
The debate around Muir’s jacket may have drawn attention away from the critical crisis at hand, but it also underscores the intense scrutiny public figures face, even in the midst of covering life-altering events.
Do you think it was ridiculous for people to focus on David Muir’s clothespin, or was it simply a useful tool for his reporting? Share your thoughts in the comments.
WHAT A JOKE!!!! After the way he treated TRUMP at the DEBATE this Gay Journalist should be fired by ABC for wearing clothes pins on the back of his jacket and being dumb enough not to turn around and show it to the cameras for All of America to see just how stupid he really is!!
Enough of seeing this sorry individual
NO IT WAS RIDICULOUS FOR THIS SORRY STUPID JOURNALIST TO TURN AROUND EXPOSING HIS COSTUME ON LIVE TV FOR ALL OF AMERICA TO SEE! Just for his self conscious self to look thin on camera REALLY at an awful time like the wildfires???? Time for him to hang up his clothes pins