The GOP Offers "Don't Look Up!" During a Deadly Category 5 Hurricane

Instead of providing relief, comfort, and scientific facts during a Category 5 Hurricane, the GOP has transformed into an extremist cult beholden to disinformation, lies, & climate change denialism.

The GOP would rather sacrifice the lives of its own base and spread deadly disinformation to “own the libs” than provide relief during a “life-threatening” Category 5 Hurricane with 190-mph winds that threatens 15 million people across the Florida Peninsula.

In the 2021 film Don’t Look Up, co-writers Adam McKay and David Sirota used an apocalyptic meteor heading to Earth as an unsubtle metaphor for climate change. In the satirical movie, the corridors of power across politics, media, and ego-maniacal billionaires decide to concentrate on their own wealth and protection rather than use their resources to save humanity. When it comes to the movie’s depiction of the right-wing, they capitalize on the impending destruction of Earth by spreading disinformation and telling their base, “Don’t Look Up!” as a way of keeping them distracted, confused and perpetually angry.

Well, in reality, Hurricane Milton just spiked from a Category 3 to a Category 5 hurricane in a day. It is now one of only seven Atlantic or Gulf hurricanes on record to make such a drastic leap within 24 hours. The reason, of course, is due to climate change and warming of the waters. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, we will witness an increase of dangerous Category 4 and 5 hurricanes throughout our lifetime. Over a period of nearly 40 years, the number of major hurricanes has increased, again due to warmer sea surface temperatures.

Over in my hometown, the Bay Area, we just witnessed 100 degree temperatures in October. Two weeks ago, it hit 117 degrees in Phoenix, the hottest day ever recorded in September. 2023 was the hottest year ever since records were kept starting from 1850. The 10 warmest years have all happened in the past decade. I fly a lot and I’ve noticed a spike in turbulence and delays. You want to guess why? Yup - climate change. “In simple terms, climate change is increasing the temperature difference between the warm and cold air masses that collide to form the jet stream in the upper atmosphere," says Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading. "This effect is making the jet stream less stable and allowing more turbulence to break out."

If you believe in human beings contributing to climate change, congratulations, you are part of the majority and agree with more than 99.9% of peer-reviewed scientists that state that climate change is caused mainly by human activity, such as burning fossil fuels.

If you’re Donald Trump, you believe climate change is a hoax created by China. You live on Earth-3 and belong to an extremist right-wing cult which is a global outlier on this particular issue even within conservative movements. White nationalist groups in Europe might believe the most unhinged anti-semitic conspiracies but on climate change, they’re all like, “Yeah, we think that’s real and it’s a problem, because, you know, we’re not crazy.” Meanwhile, The GOP says, “hold my warm beer.”

In MAGA circles, climate change is like Beetlejuice. If you say it three times, apparently it becomes real and then all the donations from oil and gas sectors dry up and you are forced to eat kale and Impossible Burgers. It’s a scary word like DEI and racism and democracy. It’s so terrifying that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill in 2024 that struck the word from Florida law. They are so utterly committed to living in the Upside Down, that these GOP elected officials are willing to deny reality and kill their own base. Republicans, such as Rep. Matt Gaetz, refused to vote for FEMA funding even as Hurricane Helen hit his Florida state the hardest. Meanwhile, DeSantis refused a call from VP Harris on hurricane relief.

When you willingly enter the cult of Trump, you make a self-destructive Faustian bargain. Instead of coming together in a moment of calamity, right-wing nuts have decided to spread batshit conspiracy theories and disinformation about space lasers which in turn have harmed recovery and aid efforts. If Trump wins, the GOP will unleash Project 2025 which seeks for a “whole-of-government unwinding” of U.S. climate policy and the destruction of the EPA. The base, radicalized by right-wing media, doesn’t believe in science, history, climate change, women’s rights, or basic facts about the 2020 election, such as Biden defeating Trump. Despite all of this, there are still some folks who say, “Well, both sides are the same.” Bless their heart. No. It’s not even close. At the very least, Democrats believe in climate change and realize much more must be done to save life from impending doom.

Meanwhile, the alleged “pro life” crowd wants to monitor women’s pregnancies and preaches de-regulation so corrupt industries can continue pillaging the Earth. On this one issue of climate change alone, Trump and the GOP deserve to lose every single election. But, we live in America where white grievance, disinformation, and “both sides” false equivalency die hard. So, instead, millions of Americans will rely on MAGA’s “concept of a plan” for climate change, which includes “don’t look up” and learning how to swim.