Gov. Gavin Newsom is hitting back at President-elect Donald Trump for his comments Wednesday about his response to the deadly wildfires currently ravaging Southern California.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday after attending a meeting at the Capitol, President Trump accused Newsom of “not being like that.”[doing] “Good job,” he said, adding that the two “worked well together” and that they would work together again when he takes office later this month.
“It’s very sad, because I was trying to get Gavin Newsom to allow water to come in. There’s got to be a ton of water out there. They’re sending water in from the Pacific Ocean. “We’re trying to protect the little fish,” Trump said. “They don’t have water because of the smelt…This can also be called a mistake on the part of the governor and the administration.”
Newsom’s news office issued a statement on social media after President Trump said there was a reason not to pump.
Palisades Fire: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt lose their home. Celebrities flee from high-end residential area
California Governor Gavin Newsom and President-elect Trump have been at odds over a variety of issues, including the California wildfires. (Getty/AP)
“LADWP stated that due to high demand for water, pumping stations at lower elevations did not have sufficient pressure replenishment tanks located at higher elevations, and the ongoing fire prevented crews from accessing pumps. ,” Newsom’s news office wrote to X.
His office added that the city uses water wheels to provide water, a common tactic in wildland firefighting.
Mr. Newsom’s office also dismissed claims that there is a water shortage.
MALIBU, CA – JANUARY 8: Firefighters battle wind and fire as the Palisades Fire burns through homes along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu near Carbon Canyon Road on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. continues. (David Crane/Media News Group/Los Angeles) Angeles Daily News (via Getty Images)
“Broadly speaking, there is no water shortage in Southern California at this time, despite Trump’s claims that he will open an imaginary hydrant,” Newsom’s office said in a statement.
The office cited numerous statements from California officials saying water reliability and water supplies are stable.
One comment states that there is enough water to supply 40 million people for a year.
Pacific Palisades Inferno evacuates thousands from California homes. Gov. Newsom declares state of emergency
In the early afternoon, President Trump accused Newsom of refusing to sign a water restoration declaration and criticized him for his poor ability to put out the fires.
“Let this be a symbol of the gross incompetence and failure of the Biden/Newscam duo. January 20th can’t come soon enough!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) hit back at President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday after being accused of mishandling California’s wildfires. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Newsom’s office said there is no such thing as a water recovery declaration.
They also pointed out that water supply and transportation are unrelated.
“Mr. Trump is confusing two completely unrelated things: shipping water to Southern California and getting it from local reservoirs,” the post said. “Again, there is no such document as the Water Restoration Declaration. This is pure fiction.”
Still, President Trump’s criticism of Newsom was not over.
In a scathing post late at night on Truth Social, President Trump said the wildfires were “all my fault!!!”
President Trump also called on Newsom to resign.
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“One of the greatest and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down,” President Trump wrote. “Ashes, Gavin Newscome should resign. This is all his fault!!!”
In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper earlier Wednesday, Newsom was asked generally about President Trump blaming him for the wildfire disaster.
“You can’t even react to it. I mean… people are literally running away. People have lost their lives, children have lost their schools. Families have been completely torn apart. Churches have been burned down,” Newsom said. told Cooper. “This guy wanted to politicize it. I have a lot of ideas, and I know what I want to say, but I won’t say them.”
Newsom went on to praise President Biden for “not playing politics.”
Mr. Biden and Mr. Newsom visited a fire station in Los Angeles on Wednesday and were briefed by authorities on the raging wildfires.
California wildfires that broke out Tuesday afternoon have already forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate their homes. At least 28,000 buildings are threatened by fires in the Los Angeles area. At least five people died.
Newsom declared a state of emergency Tuesday after the Palisades fire grew out of control.
Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion and military in the Southeast.
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