Amid the devastation left by Texas’s historic floods, voices rose in sorrow, solidarity—and controversy. Fox News host Jesse Watters ignited a storm of his own, casting doubt on the link between climate change and the floods even as communities grieved and waters still raged.

Yet beyond the debates, countless Texans are clinging to hope, helping neighbors, and rebuilding piece by piece. “We can argue forever,” one flood survivor said softly, “but right now, we just need each other.”

And in Texas, resilience keeps rising—even when the waters fall.

As historic floods ravaged Texas this summer, leaving entire neighborhoods submerged and thousands displaced, the nation’s media swiftly turned its eyes to the devastation — and the debate over climate change roared louder than ever. But while images of flooded homes and desperate rescues gripped viewers, Fox News’ Jesse Watters chose a different narrative, igniting a fresh firestorm of controversy.

On the July 7 broadcast of Fox News’ The Five, Watters unleashed a blistering monologue that left many viewers stunned. Rather than focus on the victims or the urgent relief efforts, Watters dismissed connections between climate change and the catastrophic floods, mocking what he described as “the climate religion.”

“They think driving an electric car or putting up a few solar panels will appease the rain gods,” Watters scoffed, his trademark smirk flickering across the screen. “It’s absurd. People are suffering right now, and the left wants to use that suffering to push their green agenda.”

The segment quickly went viral, prompting fierce backlash from both climate advocates and ordinary viewers who accused Watters of downplaying a genuine humanitarian crisis. Social media erupted with hashtags like #WattersClimateDenial and #TexasFloods, as people demanded that influential figures show compassion and help raise funds for the stricken communities.

Yet Watters appeared unmoved. During subsequent segments, he doubled down, suggesting that progressive politicians and activists were exploiting Texans’ pain to funnel billions into environmental programs.

“It’s the same playbook every time,” he declared. “A disaster happens, and suddenly it’s ‘See? We need more taxes and more government control!’ It’s manipulative. I’m not buying it.”

Critics accused him of insensitivity, pointing out that Texas residents were grappling with massive losses — from destroyed homes to ruined crops and livelihoods. Meteorologists noted that the storms were fueled by record ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, a phenomenon consistent with climate-change models.

Even Jessica Tarlov, Watters’ liberal co-host on The Five, couldn’t stay silent.

“You’re basically saying that trying to prevent future disasters is the same as exploiting a tragedy,” Tarlov shot back live on air. “People are dying, Jesse. Communities are wiped out. And Texas is asking for billions to protect themselves in the future. That’s not a scam. That’s reality.”

Watters, unfazed, rolled his eyes and insisted that personal responsibility — not government intervention — was the key.

Meanwhile, Fox Corporation itself announced a relief campaign supporting the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country’s Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, providing viewers with QR codes and links to donate. Yet notably absent from the effort was any personal involvement from Watters, who has made no public donations or appearances at flood relief events, at least as of this writing.

For many, the contrast was glaring: a network raising funds for victims while one of its biggest stars poured scorn on the climate discussion tied to the tragedy.

Outside the Fox bubble, climate experts continue warning that Texas faces escalating threats from extreme weather. Dr. Emily Ruiz, a climate scientist at the University of Texas, said the flooding was “exactly what the models have been predicting for years — warmer seas, heavier rainfall, and catastrophic flooding events.”

“Watters has a big platform,” Ruiz lamented. “He could help educate people about preparing for future disasters instead of sowing doubt.”

Despite the backlash, Watters’ ratings remain robust. Fans online praised him for “speaking truth” and resisting what they see as climate fearmongering.

“Jesse tells it like it is,” wrote one user on X. “Enough with the climate cult nonsense. People need help, not lectures.”

But the question lingers: Can America afford to keep debating the science while communities drown? As rescue teams continue pulling survivors from rooftops in Texas, some fear that influential voices like Watters’ are sowing dangerous seeds of skepticism at a moment when unity and action are urgently needed.

And while Fox’s cameras capture heartbreaking stories from the flood zones — children wading through waist-high water, families clutching soaked belongings — Jesse Watters remains defiant, warning that climate talk is just “political theater.”

In a country still counting the cost of this historic disaster, his words ring louder than ever. Whether that’s a rallying cry for free speech — or a reckless dismissal of scientific reality — may shape America’s next steps in confronting the climate crisis.