Conservative media’s conspiracy theory that liberals “exaggerated” the threat of Hurricane Matthew for political purposes was a “ridiculous” speculation at “the limits of irresponsibility,” reported Univision.com.

The October 6 Univision.com article called out conservative commentators Matt Drudge and Rush Limbaugh for pushing the false claim that “the American left exaggerated the threat that the hurricane represents in order to convince people that climate change exists.” The Category 4 hurricane has already killed hundreds of Haitians and one Florida resident. The Univision.com article noted that “conspiracy theories about climate change -- an indisputable phenomenon according to the scientific world -- are commonplace in the United States, including in political spheres,” recalling a tweet by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump where he wrote that “the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” Univision.com called the claims “ridiculous” and explained that “there is no evidence that [Trump’s] claim is true.”

In the past, conservative media have misleadingly attempted to rally Latinos and other minorities around their anti-environment agenda, despite the fact that climate change disproportionately affects people of color. In fact, Latino Americans are very concerned about climate change, and are more likely than whites to agree that global warming is caused by human activities.

Translated from the October 6 article:

Its destructive path through the Caribbean -- with almost 300 dead in Haiti --, doesn’t matter, nor the prediction of scientists, nor the desperate call from the Florida governor, a Republican, for citizens to safeguard their lives.

In the eyes of some conservative commentators, the invisible hand of liberals operated behind the powerful Hurricane Matthew, a climate phenomenon that triggered a massive evacuation on the east coast of Florida as had not been experienced in over a decade.

Matt Drudge, a famous conservative and sensationalist commentator, insinuated that the American left exaggerated the threat that the hurricane represents in order to convince people that climate change exists.

[...]

The conspiracy theories about climate change -- an indisputable phenomenon according to the scientific world -- are commonplace in the United States, including in political spheres.

There are Republicans who deny that it is real. [Presidential] candidate Donald Trump is one of them: in 2012 he wrote on Twitter that “the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”

[...]

Matt Drudge’s commentary was ridiculed by various media outlets who branded him as being “irresponsible.” Furthermore, there is no evidence that his claim is true.

[...]

Another ultra-conservative commentator who took on the responsibility of feeding the conspiracy theories about Hurricane Matthew was Rush Limbaugh.

On his radio program, he said this week that “it’s in the interest of the left to have destructive hurricanes because then they can blame it on climate change, which they can continue desperately continue trying to sell.”

As ridiculous as the claims may be, they should not be taken lightly. Commentators like Limbaugh and Drudge have the ears of millions of followers who can come to downplay the importance and the seriousness that the Hurricane represents.

And not taking seriously a climate phenomenon can be a matter of life and death for millions of people who decide to believe the conspiratorial fantasies and not pay attention to the recommendations of authorities.