The United States President-elect, Donald Trump, criticized President Joe Biden and California Governor, Gavin Newsom, on Wednesday for the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.
The fires have claimed at least five lives and forced thousands to flee their homes.
Trump, in a series of posts on Truth Social, accused Newsom of failing to sign a “water restoration declaration,” which he claimed could have redirected excess rainwater and snowmelt from Northern California to areas now ravaged by fires.
“Governor Gavin Newsom 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.
He further alleged, “Newsom 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. 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!”
In response, Newsom’s communications director, Izzy Gardon, accused Trump of exploiting the crisis for political purposes.
“There is no such document as the water restoration declaration – that is pure fiction. The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need,” Gardon stated.
Newsom had already declared a state of emergency as the fires left around 400,000 people without power.
President Biden issued a major disaster declaration, enabling federal assistance in the area.
Trump’s reference to a “water restoration declaration” seemed to allude to a 2020 presidential memorandum he signed, aimed at diverting water from Northern California to southern farmland.
At the time, Trump touted the move as a solution to California’s water issues, stating, “[It’s] going to give you a lot of water, a lot of dam, a lot of everything. You’ll be able to farm your land, and you’ll be able to do things you never thought possible.”
Newsom, alongside then-Attorney General Xavier Becerra, opposed the memorandum, labeling it a “harmful attack on our state’s critical ecosystems and environment.”
Newsom committed to balancing water redistribution with protecting endangered species, including a goal to double California’s salmon population by 2050.
Trump, who has often threatened to withhold federal disaster aid to California, renewed his attacks on Newsom and Biden.
Referencing fire hydrants that ran dry in Los Angeles, he claimed the situation symbolized “gross incompetence.”
“NO WATER IN THE FIRE HYDRANTS, NO MONEY IN FEMA. THIS IS WHAT JOE BIDEN IS LEAVING ME. THANKS JOE!” Trump posted.
In another post, he wrote, “Let this serve, and be emblematic, of the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo. January 20th cannot come fast enough!”
Meanwhile, Los Angeles utility officials attributed the dry hydrants to high water demand in both low and high-altitude areas, causing pressure drops.
Firefighters relied on water tenders to sustain efforts while pumps were refilled.
Trump’s criticism comes amid ongoing conspiracy theories spread by him and his allies about FEMA’s disaster relief funds.
FEMA has clarified that its disaster response efforts remain fully funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is separate from other federal resources.
