President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday blamed the massive wildfires burning homes in Southern California on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s water policies, claiming in a jab on his Truth Social media platform that Newsom put the needs of “essentially worthless fish” over “the people of California.”
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump’s post said.
“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California,” continued the post, one of several he wrote on the California fires. “Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!”
But, according to The LA Daily News, local officials blamed infrastructure for hydrant failures, and Newsom’s office quickly pushed back on the facts in Trump’s posts.
“There is no such document as the water restoration declaration — that is pure fiction,” said Izzy Gardon, Newsom’s director of communications. “The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need.”
Fire officials have said strong easterly Santa Ana winds have been the main factor fanning the wildfires in Southern California, with Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott saying fire in Pacific Palisades was “rapidly spreading due to the significant winds that we have.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom becomes visibly angry, accusing President Trump of "politiciz[ing]" the LA wildfires when CNN's Anderson Cooper asks him about Trump's criticisms regarding the mismanagement of water in California.
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) January 9, 2025
"One can't even respond to it. I mean, it's...… pic.twitter.com/LtKxaQOxDh
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has responded to criticism from president-elect Donald Trump. But instead of tit-for-tat, Newsom denounced Trump’s attempt to “politicize” the devastating Los Angeles wildfires and vowed to “focus on what matters: Saving lives and putting out these unprecedented fires.”
“People are literally fleeing. People have lost their lives. Kids lost their schools. Families completely torn asunder. Churches burned down. This guy wanted to politicize it. I have a lot of thoughts, and I know what I want to say, I won’t,” Newsom told CNN’s Anderson Cooper when asked about Trump’s attacks on Wednesday night.
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