David Muir, one of ABC’s top news anchors, was subjected to venomous vitriol online after a clip of his coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires surfaced where he was seen pinning his firefighter jacket with wooden clothespins.
The measure, commonly taken by journalists reporting under challenging weather conditions, was taken by Muir to stop his jacket from flapping in the wind, which would’ve affected both the wiring and sound of the microphone pinned on his chest.
Muir’s detractors however, labeled the anchor a “pathetic narcissist,” believing the fixing of the jacket was done to enhance his appearance by giving his torso a more defined look on camera.
“Nice Jacket Bro. Glad you look nice and svelte with those clothesline pegs while our city burns to the ground,” a viral tweet read, which garnered more than 2.7 million views at the time of writing.
Famous TV news anchor David Muir was labeled a “pathetic narcissist” after he tightened his firefighter jacket with wooden pins during his coverage of the LA fires
The footage was extracted from a live broadcast of Muir reporting on the devastation of the fires from Pacific Palisades, the region with the largest number of acres destroyed by the ongoing blazes.
As Muir turned to look at the scene behind him, the wooden pins on his back were made visible, which was interpreted as a shallow act of vanity in the middle of a major crisis by his detractors.
“He used pins to make his jacket look better on TV, all while Los Angeles is burning,” one netizen wrote in disbelief. “Now we know where his priorities are.”
The viral tweet was made by Jack Osbourne, the son of the legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and former reality TV personality. The 39-year-old has expressed political views contrary to those of Muir in the past.
The post quickly went viral, with more than 2,700 comments laughing, debating on, and lambasting Muir’s actions.
“Wait until you see the clips holding back his facial skin,” one user said.
“People are losing everything they have, but I have to make sure I look good in my fake fireman’s jacket,” another pointed out.
More neutral netizens, however, reacted with exasperation at what they labeled as an “insignificant detail” going viral in the middle of the disaster
“Both sides need to stop the childish bickering and nonsense that is going on. People have lost everything for God’s sake,” a reader wrote.
“Anyone “outraged” over this has not worked a day in TV News. Y’all need to get a life!” another stated.
Others explained that the dangerous conditions were already proof enough of the anchor and his team’s commitment to their work, who were reporting live in a red flag area exposed to embers and debris.
“He was disheveled in this broadcast. The wind destroyed his hair. He couldn’t care less how he looked. Literal embers were flying at him and the crew,” one netizen explained.
“They had to pin his coat so you could hear him. Otherwise, you would have just heard the coat flapping.”
Homes still on fire here in Malibu #palisadesfire pic.twitter.com/UZLRbqMxwR
— Liz Kreutz (@LizKreutzNews) January 8, 2025
The disaster has been divided into five main areas: Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Sunset, and Lidia. The first and second were the biggest, with 17,234 and 10,000 acres destroyed by each as of Thursday morning (January 9).
More than 100,000 people had to be evacuated, leaving their homes and precious possessions behind. According to official sources, the number of injuries has been “significant,” and the intensity of the flames “unprecedented.”
“He wanted to look more buff.” Muir’s detractors remained firm in their belief that the anchor’s actions were driven by narcissism
