President-elect Donald Trump is insisting that California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom must resign over the wildfires that continue to rage out of control in the Hollywood Hills, forcing the evacuations of more than 100,000 people, consuming countless homes, and claiming at least five lives.
"One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground," Trump posted late Wednesday night on Truth Social. "It's ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!"
Thursday morning, Trump accused Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of "gross incompetence."
"Fire is spreading rapidly for 3 days — ZERO CONTAINMENT," he said. "Nobody has ever seen such failed numbers before! Gross incompetence by Gavin Newscum and Karen Bass….And Biden’s FEMA has no money — all wasted on the Green New Scam! L.A. is a total wipeout!!!"
The fires, which began Tuesday night grew as hurricane-force winds spread the flames that have burned some of the world's most expensive real estate, including the homes of movie stars and celebrities.
Trump's rebuke on Newsom came after he said Wednesday that the wildfires were the "ultimate price" for California having an "incompetent governor."
"It's very sad because I've been trying to get Gavin Newsom to allow water to come — you'd have tremendous water up there, they send it out from the Pacific — because they're trying to protect a tiny little fish," Trump told reporters after he attended meetings on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. "For the sake of a smelt, they have no water… It's a mistake of the governor, and you could say, the administration."
Newsom's office Wednesday denied Trump's claims on the water situation.
"LADWP said that because of the high water demand, pump stations at lower elevations did not have enough pressure refill tanks at higher elevations, and the ongoing fire hampered the ability of crews to access the pumps," his office posted in a statement, adding that the city has used water tenders for supplying water, which is often used in fighting wildfires.
"Broadly speaking, there is no water shortage in Southern California right now, despite Trump's claims that he would open some imaginary spigot," Newsom said Tuesday afternoon, reports The Independent.
He also slammed Trump for pushing to "politicize" the situation.
"People are literally fleeing," the governor said on X Wednesday. "Kids have lost their schools. Communities have lost their churches. Families have lost their homes. Some have even lost their lives. And the President-Elect's response is to politicize it. We'll continue to focus on what matters: saving lives and putting out these unprecedented fires."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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