President-elect Donald J. Trump launched a new round of criticism early Sunday, calling officials tasked with fighting the Los Angeles wildfires “incompetent” and questioning why the fires have not yet been extinguished.
“Fires are still raging in Los Angeles,” Trump said on his website Truth Social. “Incompetent Poles don't know how to eliminate them.”
Trump's comments suggest that the fire and the authorities' response to it are likely to occupy a prominent place on the domestic political agenda when he takes office on January 20th. Trump renewed his long-standing feud with California Governor Gavin Newsom. He accused Trump of using the fire politically.
Since the fires broke out on Tuesday, California politicians have faced criticism over the blazes, including questions about how local and state officials prepared for the blazes and why they spread so rapidly. There are also questions as to whether the fire could have developed into a major fire.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has had to grapple with questions about whether there was enough warning about the potentially catastrophic fire and why there was a shortage of water and firefighters during the initial response. At a press conference on Thursday, she dodged questions about her absence from the city when the fires began, saying that she was in Ghana on a previously scheduled official visit, but that “all agencies, departments, Individual evaluations of mistakes and failures are not important.” ” will be discussed later.
Newsom, a Democrat, has also fended off criticism from Trump. Trump blamed the failure to contain the fires and claimed he blocked water from being poured into Southern California out of concern about the impact on endangered fish species.
In a statement, Mr. Newsom's press office countered that there was no Water Restoration Proclamation, which Mr. Trump accused of not signing. “The Governor's focus is not on politics but on protecting people and making sure our firefighters have all the resources they need,” the statement said.
Mr. Newsom and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Badger invited Mr. Trump to tour the city's fire damage. He has not publicly responded to these invitations.
The fire had killed at least 16 people and destroyed at least 12,000 structures as of Sunday morning, officials said. Trump addressed the devastation in a post Sunday.
“Thousands of great homes are gone, and many more will soon be gone,” he wrote. “There is death everywhere. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our country. They just can't put out the fire. What's wrong with them?”
His post did not name any officials.
