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California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s response to the devastating California wildfires in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Saturday, describing Trump’s comments as unhelpful and misinformed.
“Mis- and disinformation I don’t think advantages or aids any of us,” Newsom said, addressing Trump’s claims on his social media platform, Truth Social.
The wildfires, which erupted Tuesday across the greater Los Angeles area, have claimed at least 16 lives and displaced thousands.
Trump’s Claims Draw Fire
Trump, who is set to take office in less than two weeks, accused Newsom and other California officials of mismanaging resources. In one post, Trump claimed without evidence that Newsom blocked measures allowing water from Northern California to flow to Southern California, implying it could have mitigated the fires.
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him… He is the blame for this,” Trump wrote, using a derogatory nickname for the governor. Trump also criticized Newsom for protecting the delta smelt, a small fish species often at the center of water policy debates.
Newsom dismissed Trump’s remarks as “inaccurate” and “incomprehensible,” highlighting that water policy is unrelated to wildfire management.
“He’s somehow connecting the delta smelt to this fire, which is inexcusable because it’s inaccurate. Also, incomprehensible to anyone that understands water policy in the state,” Newsom said.
In another post, Trump falsely claimed that fire hydrants lacked water and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was underfunded, blaming the Biden administration.
Newsom Invites Trump to Tour Fire Damage
In a letter sent Friday, Newsom invited Trump to visit California to witness the devastation firsthand and meet with impacted communities.
“I invite you to come to California again — to meet with the Americans affected by these fires, see the devastation firsthand, and join me and others in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who are putting their lives on the line,” Newsom wrote.
As of Saturday, Newsom had not received a response from the president-elect.
Concerns Over Federal Disaster Aid
Newsom expressed concern that Trump might follow through on threats to withhold federal disaster aid from California after taking office, citing Trump’s history of politicizing disaster relief.
“He’s done it in Utah. He’s done it in Michigan, did it in Puerto Rico. He did it to California back before I was even governor, in 2018,” Newsom said. “So he’s been at this for years and years and years… We take it seriously.”
Despite the uncertainty, Newsom emphasized the resilience of Californians and vowed to support communities impacted by the fires.
