California Governor Gavin Newsom (R) excursions the downtown enterprise district of Pacific Palisades because the Palisades Fire continues to burn on Jan. 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Eric Thayer | Getty Images
California Gov. Gavin Newsom blasted President-elect Donald Trump’s response to the California wildfires in an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” recorded Saturday, saying, “Mis- and disinformation I do not assume benefits or aids any of us.”
Newsom seemed to be referring to Trump’s posts on Truth Social blasting Newsom, President Joe Biden and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass because the fires broke out Tuesday.
In one publish, the president-elect baselessly claimed Newsom had blocked a measure that will have allowed water to circulation from Northern California to Southern California.
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to signal the water restoration declaration put earlier than him that will have allowed hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, from extra rain and snow soften from the North, to circulation each day into many elements of California, together with the areas which are presently burning in a just about apocalyptic manner,” Trump wrote, utilizing an insulting nickname for Newsom.
In that publish, Trump added that Newsom “needed to guard an primarily nugatory fish referred to as a smelt, by giving it much less water (it did not work!)” and “he’s the blame for this.”
“Responding to Donald Trump’s insults, we might spend one other month,” Newsom informed NBC News’ Jacob Soboroff. “I’m very aware of them. Every elected official that he disagrees with could be very aware of them.”
He added that Trump was “one way or the other connecting the delta smelt to this hearth, which is inexcusable as a result of it is inaccurate. Also, incomprehensible to anybody that understands water coverage within the state.”
In one other publish, Trump wrote, “NO WATER IN THE FIRE HYDRANTS, NO MONEY IN FEMA. THIS IS WHAT JOE BIDEN IS LEAVING ME. THANKS JOE!” and appeared to falsely declare, as he did last year within the aftermath of a number of hurricanes, that cash had been drained from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
At least 16 individuals have died in devastating wildfires throughout the higher Los Angeles space.
On Friday, Newsom wrote a letter to Trump inviting him to come back to his state and tour the destruction.
“I invite you to come back to California once more — to fulfill with the Americans affected by these fires, see the devastation firsthand, and be part of me and others in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who’re placing their lives on the road,” the governor wrote.
Newsom informed Soboroff on Saturday that he had not obtained a response to the letter.
He added that he is fearful the president-elect might make good on his threats to withhold catastrophe assist from the state after his inauguration.
Newsom cited Trump’s past efforts to withhold federal disaster aid from states with leaders he was feuding with.
“He’s accomplished it in Utah. He’s accomplished it in Michigan, did it in Puerto Rico. He did it to California again earlier than I used to be even governor, in 2018,” Newsom mentioned.
“So he is been at this for years and years and years. It transcends the states, together with, by the best way, Georgia he threatened equally. So that is his model. And we take it severely to the extent that previously it is taken just a little bit extra time [to get federal aid],” the governor added.
