He wanted to protect fish over Californians: Trump blames wildfires on Governor

President-elect Donald Trump criticised California Governor Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden for mismanaging wildfires in Southern California, accusing them of prioritising environmental concerns over residents safety.

In Short

• Three wildfires cause evacuations and two confirmed deaths
• Newsom accused of rejecting water redirection proposal
• Trump predicts fires may be most expensive in US history

US President-elect Donald Trump criticised California Governor Gavin Newsom and outgoing President Joe Biden on Thursday, holding them responsible for the failure to contain wildfires sweeping parts of Southern California. He accused President Biden of leaving him without the necessary resources to combat the ongoing wildfire crisis.

In a series of posts on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, "No water in the fire hydrants, no money in FEMA. This is what Joe Biden is leaving me. Thanks, Joe!"

'WANTED TO PROTECT WORTHLESS FISH'

Trump accused the state’s Democratic leadership of prioritising environmental concerns over residents safety. “He (Governor Gavin 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,” Trump, who is slated to take over the Oval Office on January 20, wrote.

The remarks came as three wildfires continued to force evacuations in the Los Angeles area. Authorities confirmed two deaths and urged residents to prepare for immediate evacuation.

In his criticism, Trump accused Governor Newsom of rejecting a proposal to redirect water to Southern California. “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,” Trump wrote.

Trump appeared to cite a presidential moratorium he signed in February 2020, which aimed to redirect water from Northern California to the southern region and the central farmland areas.

READY TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING: BIDEN

President Joe Biden stated that he is closely monitoring the situation and affirmed that the government is prepared to do "anything and everything" to contain the flames. Biden said that he has approved Governor Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration and ordered federal assistance.

"We’re prepared to do anything and everything, as long as it takes, to contain the Southern California fires and help reconstruct. But we know it'll be a hell of a long way. The federal government is here to stay as long as you need us," the US President tweeted.

PURE FICTION: GOVERNOR NEWSOM ON TRUMP'S CLAIM

In response to Trump's attack, Governor Newsom's office issued a statement, dismissing the President-elect's water restoration declaration as "pure fiction".

“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," Governor Newsom's office said.

'WORST IN US HISTORY'

Trump also said that the fires might become the most expensive in the country’s history. “The fires in Los Angeles may go down, in dollar amount, as the worst in the history of our country. In many circles, they’re doubting whether insurance companies will even have enough money to pay for this catastrophe," he wrote.

He criticised the Biden administration, calling the situation a result of mismanagement. "Let this serve, and be emblematic, of the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo. January 20th cannot come fast enough!,” he added.