Former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone criticized California's handling of its devastating wildfires during an appearance on Newsmax Saturday, attributing the cause of the crisis to "liberal woke policies."
As California battles five massive wildfires that have claimed at least 11 lives and destroyed over 12,000 structures across 39,000 acres, former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone has placed the blame squarely on what he described as the state's liberal policies.
Speaking on "Saturday Report," Stone called the California wildfires "the manifestation writ large of liberal woke policies."
"Funds for water were essentially restricted because of the existence of some nearly extinct fish. So there wasn't enough water to put out the fire," he said.
"Firefighters are not hired on the basis of their ability or qualifications to engage in firefighting. They are hired because of race or gender or some other social justice-signaling nonsense."
Strong winds have fueled the fires, which have prompted widespread evacuations. The Palisades Fire's largest blaze has reached just 11% containment and continues to threaten Brentwood and Encino. As of Saturday, evacuation orders affected at least 153,000 residents in Los Angeles County, NBC News reported.
"California is the most beautiful state in the country ... and it is an economic basket case," Stone said, citing issues such as homelessness, rising crime, and economic challenges.
Donald Trump shared similar sentiments earlier this week, calling for Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, to resign over what the Republican president-elect described as mismanagement of the crisis.
JPMorgan has estimated the economic losses from the fires could approach $50 billion.
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