During his first administration, President-elect Trump admonished Gov. Gavin Newsom for his response to repeated wildfires in the state, several years before the current raging Los Angeles wildfires.
“California Governor @GavinNewsom has done a terrible job managing our forests. I told him from the first day we met that we had to 'clean' the forest floor, no matter what his bosses or environmentalists demanded. We also burn people and cut fire hydrants,” the former president and president-elect wrote on X in 2019.
“Every year, every time the fires rage and California burns down, the same thing happens. And he comes to the federal government asking for $$$ aid. No more. Get your act together, Governor. “We don't think it's anywhere near that level,” the thread continued, “and other states could be burned.”
President Trump's message to Newsom was released during the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, which occurred between October 23 and November 6, 2019.
California wildfires rage across Los Angeles County, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes
Governor Gavin Newsom holds a press conference in Los Angeles on September 25, 2024. (Jason Almond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
In response to President Trump's message, Newsom said, “While President Trump is launching an all-out attack on antidotes, extreme weather events caused by climate change are causing thousands of fires across the state in recent weeks. We have been successful in the fight.” The Washington Post reported at the time.
About two weeks before Trump was sworn in as the 47th president, he again targeted Newsom, the state's leader in wildfire prevention, and blamed the Los Angeles County fires on Newsom and his environmental policies. .
“Governor Gavin Newscome will allow millions of gallons of water from excess rain and snowmelt from the north to flow daily into many areas of California, including areas currently on fire. , refused to sign the Water Restoration Declaration that was put before him, in a virtually apocalyptic manner,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday.
“He wanted to protect smelt, an essentially worthless fish, by reducing water supply (it didn't work!), but he didn't care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price… I'm going to demand it.'' This incompetent governor is allowing beautiful, clean water to flow into California! On top of that, not having water at the fire hydrant is a real disaster! ”
“We're focused on saving lives and fighting the flare-ups. We're not playing politics,” Izzy Gurdon, Newsom's communications director, told Fox Digital in response to Trump's Truth Social. ” he said.
“There is no such document as a Water Restoration Proclamation. It's pure fiction. The governor should focus on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need,” Gardon said. he added.
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Former President Trump takes the stage at a campaign rally. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
President Trump has a long history of closely monitoring Newsom's response to wildfires during his first four years in the White House, including in January 2019 when he asked the state Forest Service to That includes when he threatened to cut off federal funding to California unless reforms were made.
“Billions of dollars are being sent to the state of California for wildfires, something that would never happen without proper forest management. That can't happen unless California gets its act together. I ordered FEMA not to send any more funds. This is a disgrace.” A situation of lives and money! ” he posted on X that year.
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Firefighters work to extinguish a burning building in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, January 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
“There is no reason California has such massive, deadly, and costly wildfires other than forest management being woefully inadequate. Billions of dollars are donated each year, and the Many lives are being lost and it's all because of gross forest mismanagement. Get relief now or stop paying the Feds!'' he added in 2018. .
Newsom and other Democrats have long argued that the state's wildfires are caused by climate change and global warming.
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For example, in 2019, when Trump criticized him for his leadership on wildfires, Newsom shot back: “You don't believe in climate change. You're exempt from this conversation.”
But California Republicans joined Trump in saying Newsom and other Democrats in the state have “failed” on forest management efforts.
Firefighters take aim at a blaze in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. (Jill Connelly/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The Democrats who control this state, who control the Legislature, who control every office across the state, are failing to manage California's forests,” Congressman James Gallagher said on Fox News in 2020. told on the news. Trees 10 feet tall, piled high, dead and dying, piled up like tinderboxes waiting for a spark. ”
California's governor promised in 2019 to reform the state's approach to wildfire prevention, but a 2021 NPR investigation reported that the governor overstated the effort.
“As a result of the investigation, Mr. Newsom has increased the number of acres treated with fuel interruptions and prescribed burns by an astonishing 690,000 acres in the very forestry projects he has argued must be prioritized to protect the state's most vulnerable communities.” It turns out we were exaggerating by a percentage,” Scott Rodd said. I wrote “Newsom claimed that 90,000 acres of fire protection work was done as a result of 35 'priority projects' implemented as a result of the executive order. However, according to the state's own data, the actual number is 11,399. It is.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom spoke at a press conference in Los Angeles on November 13th. (Tama Mario/Getty Images)
The state cited the report as wildfire prevention efforts were hampered by the pandemic, with “an unprecedented wildfire season pulling already strained wildfire crews from prevention efforts back to firefighting.” pushed back.
“The idea that the Newsom administration is using money or actions to roll back the wildfire response is completely inaccurate,” the governor's office said after the study was released.
Since then, the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan has reached 100% of its 99 key actions, and the state is hiring an additional 3,000 new firefighters to CAL FIRE starting in 2019. are.
The Palisades Fire burns during a rainstorm on the west side of Los Angeles on January 7, 2025. (Reuters/Ringo Chiu)
There are currently at least four wildfires burning in Los Angeles County, including the Pacific Palisades, Sylmar, and even near Pasadena.
Before the fires broke out earlier this week, Newsom sent 65 fire trucks, seven helicopters, nine bulldozers and It was proposed to dispatch more than 105 professional staff. The National Guard was also called in to respond to the fire.
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“California has deployed 1400% fire personnel and hundreds of planned assets to combat these. Unprecedented fire in Los Angeles” Newsom said this week on “X.” “Paramedics, firefighters and first responders are on deck all night doing everything they can to save lives.”
