'Pitiful and Desperate': Megyn Kelly Faces Backlash After Ranting L.A. Fire Department Leaders Are 'Obese' and 'Out of Shape' Women

Megyn Kelly was criticized on social media after she insinuated the Los Angeles Fire Department's attempts to put out the rampant wildfires in Southern California were hindered by their efforts to promote diversity.

"I believe I speak for all females in Los Angeles when I say, we want a strong man to rescue us," the journalist boldly declared on a recent installment of "The Megyn Kelly Show" podcast. "That’s what we want. Do we ask for too much?"

Kelly specifically lashed out at the three women who help make up LAFD's 14-person leadership team — L.A. fire chief Kristin Crowley, Jaime Brown, who is the Training and Support Bureau Commander, and Kristine Larson, who serves as Deputy Chief in the Equity and Human Resources Bureau.

"These three women who are all at the top there … I mean honestly, I’m not trying to be mean, but they’re obese," she claimed. "These are overweight, out-of-shape women. The last thing I want to see if I’m in a burning building is a) a woman, and b) an obese woman ... Who takes comfort in ‘I’m going to die, but it’s in the presence of an obese lesbian’? This is ridiculous."

As the clip made rounds on social media, many critics of Kelly took issue with her comments on the size and sexuality of the three women.

One X user claimed she sounded "pitiful and desperate," while others called her out for slamming women who devoted their lives to a career field focused on helping others.

A separate critic chimed in, "So because she can't have the people she wants, she tears down the people who bravely step up with their lives to protect other Americans?! Wow.. She must feel real special."

Another user replied, "Megyn Kelly is saying she wouldn't want to trust her rescue to 'an obese, lesbian firefighter'. Lady, they have more courage than you could ever hope to have."

Despite Kelly's suggestion that a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion could be making the fire department less effective, Crowley herself recently warned that budget cuts were a problem for LAFD.

"My message is the fire department needs to be properly funded," Crowley told reporters earlier this month. "It's not."

Mike Beasley, who is the head of the board of Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Econology also assured NPR: "No fire agency is going to sacrifice training and fundamental fire control and fundamental operations at the expense of DEI training."