As Los Angeles reels from devastating wildfires, ABC News anchor David Muir has found himself at the center of controversy—not for his reporting, but for what critics are calling a laughable display of vanity. While broadcasting from the fire-ravaged streets of Pacific Palisades for *World News Tonight*, eagle-eyed viewers noticed an embarrassing detail: Muir’s ill-fitting flame-retardant jacket was cinched with wooden clothespins to accentuate his physique.
During his live segment, Muir turned to gesture at the charred rubble behind him, unintentionally revealing the clothespins clamped to the back of his jacket. The makeshift tailoring sparked immediate backlash online, with many slamming the anchor as “pathetic” and “narcissistic” for prioritizing his appearance over the gravity of the situation.
“Nice jacket, bro. Glad you look nice and svelte with those clothesline pegs while our city burns to the ground,” quipped Jack Osbourne in a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a clip of Muir’s styling misstep. Other users piled on, mocking Muir for his apparent focus on optics during a time of crisis.
While the use of clamps is a common styling trick in television to create a polished look without permanent alterations, critics argue that it underscores a troubling disconnect. “Is this really the time for vanity?” one commenter asked. “People are losing their homes, and Muir’s biggest concern seems to be how his jacket fits.”
This isn’t the first time Muir has faced criticism for prioritizing style over substance—or for appearing tone-deaf in his reporting. Conservatives have long pointed to Muir’s perceived political bias, most notably during his moderation of a debate last summer. Critics accused the ABC anchor of unfairly targeting then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump while giving Vice President Kamala Harris a free pass on her numerous gaffes. Muir repeatedly interrupted Trump during the debate and conducted no on-air fact-checks of Harris, leaving many viewers frustrated with what they saw as blatant favoritism.
The latest gaffe has only fueled conservative frustrations with what they see as an elitist media culture more concerned with aesthetics and political correctness than delivering hard-hitting, unbiased journalism. “This is the mainstream media in a nutshell,” one user wrote. “They’re more worried about their image than the real stories that matter to everyday Americans.”
Muir’s critics argue that his focus on presentation during the wildfire coverage reveals a deeper issue with legacy media figures—one where personal branding often takes precedence over connecting with the people affected by the tragedies they cover. As families mourn their losses and first responders battle to contain the flames, the image of a perfectly styled anchor obsessing over his wardrobe sends the wrong message.
As Los Angeles continues to grapple with the destruction, viewers are left wondering: is the mainstream media truly committed to covering the human cost of these disasters, or is it just another stage for their stars to shine? For David Muir, the clothespin controversy is just the latest chapter in a career that increasingly seems defined by style over substance.
