California Governor Gavin Newsom faced criticism from President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday for what Trump described as mismanagement of the state’s resources, which he claims contributed to the devastating fires spreading across Los Angeles County.
Newsom recently posed for a photo in front of the fires and shared it on social media. Trump responded with sharp remarks, blaming Newsom for decisions he says exacerbated the crisis.
“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 wrote on social media.
“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,” Trump continued. “Now the ultimate price is being paid.”
Trump vowed to take action, adding, “I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA!”
“He is to blame for this,” Trump concluded. “On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!”
As the fires intensified, officials ordered evacuations for up to 80,000 residents. The largest blaze, the Palisades Fire, quickly grew to over 3,000 acres. Other significant fires included the Eaton Fire, which consumed more than 2,000 acres, the Hurst Fire in Sylmar, which burned over 500 acres, and the smaller Woodley Fire, which was contained after burning a few dozen acres.
Reports from The New York Times noted that over a thousand structures had already been destroyed, with more than 15,000 additional structures at risk. Power outages affected approximately 300,000 residents as of Wednesday morning.
