WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump slammed Los Angeles officials’ handling of the wildfires Sunday, calling them “incompetent” and questioning why they have not yet contained the blaze.
“The fires are still raging in L.A,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out.”
Death toll reaches 16 in LA wildfires, more wind expected
“Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” he concluded.
As Los Angeles continues to burn, California politicians have come under sharp criticism by the soon-to-be 47th president, specifically for the state’s water management.
Trump has hurled blame at Governor Gavin Newsom (D) – whom he has feuded with for years – for the wildfire crisis, proclaiming he should resign. In a post on his social media site earlier in the week, Trump wrote that Newsom “refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water” to areas now burning, alleging he prioritized “small fish” over California residents.
Newsom swiped back Saturday, insisting Trump’s accusations were “made up” and “delusional.”
“The Delta smelt somehow being culpable of somehow leading to some of the challenges that we face down here… it’s made up, it’s delusional,” Newsom said during an interview on “Pod Save America”.
“It’s so profoundly ignorant and yet [Trump] absolutely believes it,” Newsom continued. “It’s not an ignorance on his part, it’s sort of an indelible misinformation that he sort of manifested a falsehood and he decided to bring it into this crisis, in a profoundly demeaning and damaging way.”
The governor has since launched a website to combat “misinformation” being spread about the disaster, which addresses claims on resources, funding, and policies.
Californians contend with looting, price gouging, insurance issues
Newsom sent a letter to Trump dated Friday – and publicly posted to his X account – inviting the president-elect to survey the devastation firsthand and meet with fire victims and first responders. The California governor said Trump has not responded to his invitation as of Sunday.
At least 16 people have been killed by the inferno in the Los Angeles region, and officials warn there will likely be “a lot more” added to the death toll. The wildfires have burnt at least 40,000 acres and destroyed at least 12,000 structures.
