‘Virtually apocalyptic’: Trump rips ‘incompetent’ Gavin Newsom over raging California wildfires

Los Angeles is in flames, fire hydrants have run dry, and California’s government has been absent. As the devastating fires continue to rage on in the Pacific Palisades, President-elect Donald Trump pointed the finger at none other than California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Trump called Newsom’s handling of the fires a “true disaster,” citing the lack of proper infrastructure and leadership. As of Wednesday afternoon, the wildfire has decimated over 10,600 acres of land, forcing tens of thousands of residents to vacate.

‘NO WATER IN THE FIRE HYDRANTS, NO MONEY IN FEMA,’ Trump said. ‘THIS IS WHAT JOE BIDEN IS LEAVING ME. THANKS JOE!’

“As of this moment, Gavin Newscum and his Los Angeles crew have contained exactly ZERO percent of the fire. It is burning at levels that even surpass last night,” Trump said in a Wednesday post on Truth Social. “This is not Government. I can’t wait till January 20th!”

Newsom flew to Los Angeles on Tuesday, calling for “all hands on deck.” President Joe Biden also joined Newsom on Wednesday. Despite the outpouring effort to, in Newsom’s words, “combat these unprecedented fires,” Trump argued that the fires were entirely preventable.

A person uses a garden hose in an effort to save a neighboring home from catching fire during the Eaton Fire on January 8, 2025, in Altadena, California. Over 1,000 structures have burned, with two people dead, in wildfires fueled by intense Santa Ana winds across L.A. County. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

“Governor Gavin Newscum 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 said.

“He 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,” Trump continued. “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!”

Trump expressed frustration not just with Newsom but with Biden as well.

“NO WATER IN THE FIRE HYDRANTS, NO MONEY IN FEMA,” Trump said. “THIS IS WHAT JOE BIDEN IS LEAVING ME. THANKS JOE!”

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