California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday fired back at President-elect Donald Trump, who harshly criticized the state and local government's response to the wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles County.
Newsom, 57, suggested that President Trump, 78, was spreading “disinformation” and urged the president-elect to visit the region and see the devastation for himself.
“I called on him to come out and look at himself,” Newsom told NBC News in an interview on “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, referring to a letter he sent to the president-elect last week. Ta.
“We want to do it in the spirit of an open hand, not a closed fist,” Newsom said of his office's cooperation with federal authorities.
“I don't think that's wrong.[information] And disinformation benefits or helps us. It will take another month to respond to Donald Trump's insults. I know them very well. All the elected officials he disagrees with know them very well,” the Democratic governor said.
President Trump slams California leaders as 'incompetent' be angry at their own incompetence To put out the fire. The next president also raised his well-warned request again California does a much better job managing its forests and water.
The president-elect has signaled he will push for dramatic reforms in California, and Newsom has expressed concerns about whether Trump will use federal aid to extract such concessions.
“He got it done in Utah. He got it done in Michigan. It was Puerto Rico,” Newsom complained about Trump. “He did it in California before I became governor in 2018, but he found out that the people of Orange County voted for him and then he decided to donate the money.
“I mean, he's been working on this for years and years and years. That's his style. And we take it seriously.”
Mr. Newsom called Mr. Trump after his election victory, but was unable to reach him and has not been able to reach him since.
Data shows California's first responders are working hard to contain the Palisades and Eaton fires in particular. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Other infernos such as the Kenneth Fire, Hearst Fire, and Lydia Fire have been largely suppressed. In all, the wildfires killed at least 16 people and destroyed more than 12,300 homes and businesses.
Asked if the fires would go down as the worst natural disaster in U.S. history, Newsom said, “I think it will, just in terms of the scale and scope and the costs associated with it.”
California politicians have come under heavy criticism for budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the closure of the 117 million gallon Santa Ynez Reservoir for repairs during wildfires, and a lack of firefighting equipment. is bathed in Not just water but also pressure To fight the flames.
Newsom has called for an independent investigation into dry fire hydrants, which are hampering first responders, and said he intends to push for major reforms.
Stay up to date with NYP's coverage of horrific fires in the Los Angeles area
The term-limited governor also plans to take executive actions aimed at attacking potential price gouging and streamlining recovery efforts.
“We are concerned about rebuilding issues related to shortages.” [of resources]In connection with [increased] “It’s property taxes,” he said.
“When someone rebuilds, we want to make sure that the old property tax assessment is still there and that it's not increased. So all of this is part of the executive order that we just issued. It was done inside.”
Newsom is aiming to rebuild Los Angeles County for the 2028 Olympics and 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“That's why we're already organizing the Marshall Plan. We've already set up a team to look at rethinking LA 2.0 and making sure everyone is on board, not just people along the coasts. '' Newsom said.
“To Mr. Trump's credit, he was instrumental in bringing the Olympics to the United States and making them here,” he said.
