Walls of fire devoured neighborhoods, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee for their lives as massive blazes swept across Los Angeles. Amidst the devastation, President-elect Donald Trump saw an opportunity to settle a long-standing feud with California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential opponent in his bid for a second term.
Trump reopened his attack on Newsom, laying the blame for the wildfires on the governor’s environmental policies, claiming that diverting fresh water to preserve wetlands and wildlife was the cause of hydrants running dry. In a series of posts on his Truth Social network, Trump alleged that the “gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo” was to blame for the fires that have claimed at least five lives.
The president-elect specifically targeted Newsom, arguing that the governor should be held responsible for the devastation and demand that he allow “beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA.” He also called for Newsom’s resignation, basing his claims on misinformation about the diversion of water to protect the delta smelt, a fish he deemed “worthless.”
The motivations behind Trump’s actions are simple: he seeks to inflict political damage on a prominent Democrat and potential 2028 presidential hopeful, and California, as a liberal state, provides a prime target for his narrative of liberal governance leading to chaos and misery. As the crisis subsides, Trump will await his chance to replay the blame game, highlighting the failures of California and Los Angeles’ authorities in preparing for the fires.
