Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has again turned to partisan rhetoric, slamming President-elect Donald Trump over what he calls "disinformation" regarding the state’s ongoing wildfire crisis that has so far killed 16 people. Newsom, facing mounting criticism for his handling of the fires, is deflecting blame by accusing Trump of spreading false narratives about California’s fire management and environmental policies. Critics of Newsom, however, argue that the governor’s focus on playing the blame game only distracts from the state’s failures to address the root causes of the crisis, such as poor forest management, overregulation, and the unchecked growth of radical environmental policies. Meanwhile, Trump’s comments continue to resonate with many who believe that Newsom’s leadership has left the state vulnerable to increasingly frequent and devastating wildfires.
During a Sunday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Newsom accused Trump of politicizing the wildfires that ignited this week in Pacific Palisades.
“President-elect Trump has blamed you for this crisis. He’s called you incompetent. What’s your response?” NBC reporter Jacob Soboroff asked.
In response, Newsom called on Trump to visit California, smearing his recent remarks about the state’s Delta and California's reservoirs. The governor labeled it as “misinformation” that doesn't help resolve the situation.
I called for him to come out, take a look for himself. We want to do it in the spirit of an open hand, not a closed fist. He’s the president-elect. I respect the office. We have a president of the United States that within 36 hours provided a major disaster declaration over a text. We had support from the President of the United States, Joe Biden, with 100% reimbursement, all the resources you could hope for, imagine, constant communication. I’d like to extend that to the president-elect. I don’t know what he’s referring to when he talks about the Delta smelt in reservoirs. The reservoirs are completely full, the state reservoirs here in Southern California. That mis- and disinformation I don’t think advantages or aids any of us. Responding to Donald Trump’s insults, we would spend another month. I’m very familiar with them. Every elected official that he disagrees with is very familiar with them.
That was not a state system reservoir that the President-elect was referring to as it relates to the Delta and somehow connecting the Delta smelt with the fire which is inexcusable because it’s inaccurate also incomprehensible to anyone who understands water policy in the state.
On Saturday, Trump took to his Truth Social account to blast the “incompetent” Los Angeles leaders who, he says, have no idea how to put out the wildfires.
“The fires are still raging in L.A…. thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” Trump wrote.
In a separate interview, this time with CNN, Newsom claimed that Trump’s criticisms stem from political motives— not a genuine concern for the people of L.A.
“People are literally fleeing. People have lost their lives. Kids lost their schools. Families completely torn asunder. Churches burned down,” Newsom told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “This guy wanted to politicize it.”
Newsom also accused Trump of withholding aid from California and threatening the state’s first responders.
