Governor Gavin Newsom is responding to President-elect Donald Trump’s comments on the ongoing deadly wildfires in Southern California. Trump criticized Newsom for not doing a good job but mentioned they had worked well together in the past and would do so in the future.
“It’s very sad because I’ve been trying to get Gavin Newsom to allow water to come – you’d have tremendous water up there, they send it out from the Pacific – because they’re trying to protect a tiny little fish,” Trump said. “For the sake of a smelt, they have no water… It’s a mistake of the governor, and you could say, the administration.”
Newsom’s press office released a statement on social media clarifying the reasons for not using the pumps.
PALISADES FIRE: HEIDI MONTAG, SPENCER PRATT LOSE HOME; CELEBRITIES FLEE RITZY NEIGHBORHOOD
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President-elect Trump have clashed on various issues, including the California wildfires. (Getty/AP)
“LADWP said that because of the high water demand, pump stations at lower elevations did not have enough pressure refill tanks at higher elevations, and the ongoing fire hampered the ability of crews to access the pumps,” Newsom’s press office explained.
His office emphasized that there is no water shortage and that water tenders were used to supply water, a common tactic in wildland firefighting.
PACIFIC PALISADES INFERNO FORCES THOUSANDS TO FLEE CALIFORNIA HOMES; GOV. NEWSOM DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
Trump later accused Newsom of refusing to sign a water restoration declaration and criticized him for low fire containment.
MALIBU, CA – January 08: Firefighters continue to battle wind and fire as homes go up in flames in Malibu along Pacific Coast Highway near Carbon Canyon Road in the Palisades Fire on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. (David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)
Trump’s accusations were refuted by Newsom’s office, stating there is no such thing as a water restoration declaration and clarifying the difference between water supply and transport.
Trump continued to criticize Newsom, calling for his resignation.
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In an interview, Newsom refused to engage with Trump’s politicization of the wildfires, emphasizing the destruction and loss caused by the disaster and praising President Biden for his non-political approach.
Biden visited the area for a briefing on the wildfires that have forced over 100,000 people to evacuate, threatening thousands of structures and resulting in at least five deaths.
Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to the escalating fires.
