California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, is attempting to address years of wildfire mismanagement by adopting a strategy reminiscent of a proposal made by former President Donald Trump, dubbed “Make America Rake Again.”
Wildfires have become one of the most glaring shortcomings during Newsom’s tenure, with several significant fires breaking out while he was in office. This raises questions about his commitments and effectiveness.
Previously, Democrats found humor in Trump’s remark about California needing to “rake” its forests, referring to the need to clear out dead trees and reduce fire risks. Newsom himself made jokes about this on *Late Night with Seth Meyers* in 2020, saying, “We don’t have a raking policy,” seemingly highlighting how some communities have delayed statewide efforts.
On Tuesday, possibly hinting at a potential presidential run, Newsom mirrored Trump’s language while trying to position himself against the former president.
During a press briefing in Placer County, he adopted the phrase “America Rake Again” and suggested that the burden of funding should shift to the federal government, noting that California manages only 3% of land while the federal government oversees 57%. He pointed out that many recent fires originated from federal lands, conveniently overlooking that other major fires started on state-managed areas.
“The U.S. President needs to back his words with real investments and resources, particularly as we’ve seen funding cuts,” Newsom remarked, referring to recent reductions in federal funding. He explained that California is overseeing 2,200 vegetation management projects and allocates $350 million in state resources for clearing federal land.
“The Trump administration must enhance its support for these initiatives, not just in California but across the western U.S.,” he emphasized.
When questioned by CNN about dry fire hydrants during the Palisades fire, Newsom suggested that locals should “try to understand” the situation but didn’t provide any concrete solutions.
Despite using Trump’s slogan, Newsom couldn’t resist poking fun at him during his speech.
At present, Newsom is seeking $40 billion in support from Trump to help combat the LA fires, yet has previously tied up $50 million in legal disputes against the Trump administration on immigration and other policy matters.
