Governor Gavin Newsom was seen enjoying a bottle of tequila at his mansion while the Palisades fire raged in Los Angeles, blaming President Trump for the destruction. “I felt the weight of everything falling apart,” he reflected recently, expressing the burden of losing an election and the stressful political landscape with notable figures like Trump and Elon Musk in their highs.
After returning from inspecting the devastation in Los Angeles, where fire hydrants had reportedly run dry, Newsom’s frustration was echoed by residents on the streets, and Trump shot back on social media, insisting, “There will be no more excuses.”
Doug Hendrickson, a close ally, noted how hard the blame hit Newsom, recalling a January get-together where he seemed overwhelmed, feeling like he was catching all the blame for the crisis. “It was like everything was his fault,” Hendrickson said, describing Newsom’s state of mind as quite distressed.
Details on where they shared tequila remain uncertain—whether at the governor’s mansion in Sacramento or his Marin County home, valued at $9 million.
At that time, Newsom faced significant scrutiny, with Trump, the soon-to-be president, criticizing the state and city’s failure to control the Palisades fire, which had destroyed around 7,000 properties and resulted in 12 fatalities before it was finally contained.
On January 12, Trump took to Truth Social, expressing his frustration over the ongoing wildfires: “Incompetent police don’t know how to put them out.” Just days prior, he accused Newsom of caring more about protecting fish than the residents of Los Angeles and of exhausting local water reserves, asserting, “He is responsible for this.”
Newsom, recalling his collaboration with Trump during a previous crisis in 2018, expressed concern about what would happen once Trump officially took office on January 20. He indicated that this new Trump seemed more focused on attacking him.
“I think this is a different person,” Newsom remarked, hinting at a shift in Trump’s approach.
The Palisades fire had a profound impact on Newsom, shaping him into a prominent critic of Trump amidst a Democratic Party aiming to regain its footing after President Biden’s re-election efforts faltered and Vice President Harris struggled to lead effectively.
With aspirations to challenge the Republican Party in 2028, Newsom has ramped up his attacks on Trump lately, utilizing bold and aggressive tweets to match Trump’s approach.
However, should he decide to run, Newsom must navigate the perception of him and California as elite, a label he feels is unwarranted. “I think there is California confusion syndrome,” he commented, noting the oddity of such a viewpoint.
