President-elect Donald J. Trump on Wednesday accused California's Democratic governor of failing to contain fires that have engulfed parts of the Los Angeles area and turning an ongoing natural disaster into a political opportunity. He accused the government of allowing environmental policies to run out of control.
In a post on his social media site, Trump mocked Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling him “incompetent” and saying he would not pump water into Southern California over concerns about the impact on endangered fish. He claimed to have prevented it.
Trump told Truth Social: “He wanted to protect smelt, an essentially worthless fish (it didn't work!) by cutting back on watering, but he didn't care about Californians. ” he said. “Now the ultimate price is being paid.”
The poster was classic Trump, who rarely misses an opportunity to blame natural disasters on his political opponents. It was also a return to his condemnation of California, which has often been the target of his ire.
In 2019, Trump accused San Francisco of allowing drug users' used needles to be dumped into the ocean, saying the city was in “gross violation” of environmental rules and calling authorities. He demanded that he be “purified.”
“We can’t let our city go to hell,” he said.
At Christmas of that year, Trump tweeted: “Governor Gavin N. has done a really bad job of caring for California's homeless population. If he can't fix the problem, the federal government is going to get involved!” He accused Newsom's administration of not doing enough to prevent wildfires that were raging.
“They're starting again in California,” Trump said at the rally. “I said, “We have to clean the floor, we have to clean the forest. There's a lot of leaves and broken trees that have fallen over the years, and they're very flammable, so if you touch them, they'll burst into flames. ”
Mr. Trump on Wednesday made angry comments about the recent wildfires, including calls for Mr. Newsom to resign, even as Southern California residents were evacuated from three blazes. At least two people have been confirmed dead in the fire, and authorities have warned nearby residents to evacuate their homes immediately.
President Biden, who was in the Los Angeles area for a pre-scheduled event, visited a fire station and was briefed by state fire officials.
“We're working to do whatever it takes to contain these fires and make sure we get back to normal,” Biden said. “It's going to be a hell of a long road. It's going to take time. It's amazing what's going on.”
Mr. Trump took a different approach.
The president-elect called the governor “Gavin Newscam” in a social media post and said he refused to sign a proclamation allowing more water to flow into Southern California.
“Governor Gavin Newscome will allow millions of gallons of water from excess rain and snowmelt from the north to flow daily into many areas of California, including areas currently on fire. , refused to sign the Water Restoration Declaration that was put before him, in a virtually apocalyptic manner,” Trump said.
The governor's press office released a statement on social media.
“There is no such document as the Water Restoration Declaration. It is pure fiction,” X's statement said. “The governor's focus is not on politics but on protecting people and making sure our firefighters have all the resources they need.”
Newsom posted throughout the day about the resources California is putting into fighting the fires, and he and Biden were briefed by fire officials, but he did not mention Trump. At a press conference Tuesday night ahead of Trump's social media posts, the governor called for restraint.
“My message to the next administration is that we're not here to play politics, but please don't play politics,” he said.
The debate over water in California has a long history. Most of the state's water comes from Northern California, which has had more rain and snow than Southern California so far this winter. But most of that water is used by Central Valley farmers and Southern California residents, and there is a constant battle between the state and federal government over how much water should be sent south.
Conflicts over the purpose of the water include whether some water should be diverted to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay to protect smelt and other ecosystems, or sent to urban users such as Central Valley farmers and Los Angeles residents. continues. Producers in Southern California get much of their water from another system, the Colorado River.
The battle sparked years of litigation over the fate of the fish. Because the Delta smelt is a federally endangered species and an endangered species in California, courts have often dictated how much water the state can pump south and how much water can be diverted to the ocean. .
During his first term in 2019, Trump pushed for reforms that would direct more water to Central Valley producers. His Interior Secretary was David Barnhart, who was the Washington lobbyist for the Westlands Water District, the Valley's major provider of water to farmers.
The changes were opposed by environmentalists who raised concerns about the impact on fish such as salmon and smelt.
The Biden administration worked with Newsom, and when Biden took office, supported a different plan that would flush water but put more effort into protecting fish.
“We demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean fresh water to flow to California!” Trump said in a post Wednesday. He's responsible for this. Moreover, there is no water in the fire hydrants or fire planes. What a disaster! ”
But it's unclear whether Trump's proposed water diversions would have affected the fire explosions in the Los Angeles area this week or firefighters' ability to extinguish them.
Water supplies are tight in the Pacific Palisades, and some firefighters on Wednesday connected hoses to hydrants only to find them empty. The fire also grounded some fire planes on Tuesday, but authorities said it was due to strong winds and smoke, not a lack of water.
Officials also disputed Mr. Trump's suggestion that conflicts over smelt and other fish were hampering firefighting efforts this week. The water wars have primarily focused on irrigation needs by farmers, rather than water use by firefighters.
Kevin Yamamura Contributed to the report.
