Megyn Kelly took aim at David Muir, accusing him of ‘abject vanity’ after the ABC News reporter had his jacket cinched at the back while covering the Los Angeles fires.
Kelly, 54, expressed outrage about what she described as Muir’s attempts to make ‘his waist look more svelte on camera’ while ‘pretending to be a fireman’ as he talked about the devastation in southern California during a broadcast Wednesday.
‘The abject vanity of this man,’ Kelly said on her SiriusXM podcast The Megyn Kelly Show on Thursday.
‘Yes, he’s an actor who’s worried about his own vanity and beauty on camera. God forbid you think David Muir might be a little boxy in the waist.’
‘This is not dress up time… That’s something that my little boys did when they were still in the single digits…not on the news when people are dying,’ she added. ‘What are you doing?’
Muir, 51, has been viciously mocked for accidently revealing that he was using clothes pins to cinch in his jacket while reporting in the historic wildfires that have left at least 10 dead.
The World News Tonight anchor might have noticed the backlash, as he appeared on Thursday’s report from LA with an unzipped jacket that did not seen tailored to his figure.
It came as ABC News moles told Page Six that Muir’s jacket gaffe while covering the LA wildfires had left them ’embarrassed and horrified’.
Megyn Kelly, 54, expressed outrage about what she described as David Muir’s attempts to make ‘his waist look more svelte on camera’ while ‘pretending to be a fireman’
Eagle-eyed ABC News viewers noticed David Muir committed a fashion faux pas while reporting on the wildfires in Los Angeles
The World News Tonight anchor might have noticed the backlash, as he appeared on Thursday’s report from LA with an unzipped jacket that did not seen tailored to his figure
The insiders claimed Muir’s decision to cinch in the waist of a fire retardant jacket with clothespins is par for the course for the ‘narcissistic’ anchor.
‘It’s pathetic. All flexed muscles and posing,’ one source said, referencing how Muir’s Instagram feed is plastered with photos of him sporting tight, black t-shirts while out in the field.
‘He’s actually Zoolander meets Anchorman. He forgets he is the face of ABC News, not Abercrombie & Fitch!’
The insider was referring to Ben Stiller‘s fictional supermodel from the 2001 movie Zoolander and Will Ferrell’s cheesy Ron Burgundy newsreader from 2004’s Anchorman.
Another insider claimed they had ‘never’ before seen ABC News jackets ‘made to look like a firefighter jacket’, noting that Muir’s jacket ‘matches the first responders’.
Others slammed Muir for ‘trying to look “hot” during a fire’ and argued that covering the catastrophic fires – which have killed at least 10 people and consumed more than 34,000 acres across LA – ‘shouldn’t be about vanity, it should be about people losing their homes.’
Muir was pointing out the rubble behind him during a stand-up hit in the Pacific Palisades, when he turned around – revealing the fashion faux pas.
‘As you can see here behind me,’ he said, while the clamps could be seen on the back of his jacket.
Insiders have claimed that ABC News president Almin Karamehmedovic, who has been dubbed Muir’s ‘security blanket’, was on scene during the live hit.
A network president does not typically accompany anchors on a shoot unless they are moderating a presidential debate or interviewing a high-profile individual, such as the president, Page Six reported.
Muir enjoys posting social media images of himself in his trademark tight t-shirts, to the amusement of some of his colleagues
Muir’s antics on screen and on social media have seen him likened to fictional supermodel Derek Zoolander (played by Ben Stiller, left) and Will Ferrell’s Anchorman Ron Burgundy (right)
Sources at ABC News have now alleged the network is ’embarrassed and horrified’ by Muir’s gaffe, with several insiders saying the ‘narcissistic’ move is typical of the anchor. They referenced how Muir’s Instagram feed is plastered with photos of him sporting tight, black t-shirts while out in the field
It is unclear why Karamehmedovic, who used to be Muir’s producer before taking the job of network boss, was on the scene. But sources say he is ‘excellent at field producing in these situations’. They also note that he and Muir share a ‘level of trust’.
Although the network has not offered an explanation for Muir’s fashion choice, ABC has claimed he was ‘solely focused’ on the fires – not his appearance.
‘Here’s an anchor standing in the middle of horrific wildfires where people have lost everything,’ a spokesperson said in a statement to Page Six. ‘David is solely focused on the people who are suffering and the heroic efforts of the firefighters — and that’s what everyone should be focused on.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to ABC News for comment on this story.
Regardless, the fashion faux pas has sparked heavy criticism of the anchor from fans and industry members alike.
‘Nice jacket bro. Glad you look nice and svelte with those clothes line pegs, while our city burns to the ground,’ wrote television producer Jack Osbourne.
Others also chimed in, calling Muir ‘pathetic’ and ‘narcissistic.’
‘He’s a fraud from head to toe,’ journalist Paul V Rea added, calling the host of World News Tonight with David Muir ‘basically a hair model reading a script.’
Another commented, ‘@DavidMuir, just when your reputation hasn’t gotten bad enough.’
Many online called Muir ‘pathetic’ and ‘narcissistic’ for the use of the clamps
The incident comes amid an ongoing feud between Muir and fellow ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos
Using clothespins to cinch ill-fitting clothes is a standard television style maneuvering for when more traditional tailoring is unavailable, according to the New York Post.
Muir was also mocked on his Instagram account, with one poster writing: ‘You’re so vain, you probably think this fire’s about you, don’t you,’ a reference to the classic Carly Simon song.
Another said: ‘Are you going to clip your flame retardant jacket today too?’
And a third wrote: ‘if you wanted a tailored look then go to a fashion show! So embarrassing.’
Muir’s sartorial awareness was deemed jarring in front of destroyed buildings, as thousands of people were left with nothing but ash across the City of Angels.
At least 10 people were killed and thousands of structures were burned as fierce wildfires raged in the Los Angeles area, officials said.
The ruins of a burned property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025
A firefighter protects a beach front property while fighting the Palisades Fire Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Malibu, California
Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday
Fast-moving flames blazed through homes and businesses as residents fled smoke-filled canyons and picturesque neighborhoods that are home to many celebrities.
Many of the towering fires that began Tuesday were fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, which gusted to more than 70 mph in some spots. The winds dropped Thursday, but the National Weather Service warned that even the reduced gusts could still spread fire rapidly.
The exact death toll remained unclear, but it was expected to rise as crews begin to search the rubble.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said California has deployed more than 1,400 firefighting personnel to battle the blazes. Oregon, Washington, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona dispatched teams to assist.
AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impact, increased its estimate of the damage and economic loss to $135 billion to $150 billion. Government officials have not yet released any damage estimates.
