President-elect Donald Trump is blaming California Governor Gavin Newsom’s water management policies as partly exacerbating the ongoing wildfire crisis in the state.
President Trump’s comments have poured gasoline over the flames of the political and natural crisis Governor Newsom is facing as his administration struggles to combat raging wildfires in Southern California.
According to local news, water supplies to combat the ongoing wildfires are running short of firefighter demands to prevent the further spread of the fires.
California manages its water supplies by holding and releasing water from state-managed reservoirs.
Trump blamed Newsom for the water shortages, claiming his water management policies failed to channel sufficient water from such reservoirs to areas that are now exposed to wildfires.
Trump claimed Newson “refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water…to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way.”
Newsom and Trump previously battled over water management during Trump’s first term.
Trump had previously futilely urged Newsom to allow more water from reservoirs to flow into California’s urban and rural areas, including to farmers requesting increased water supplies.
Last September, Trump threatened to withhold Federal aid to California if Newsom did not expand water flows from California’s reservoirs.
Trump recently echoed such threats, stating he will “demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA!”
Newsom has yet to respond to Trump’s latest comments but previously claimed his threats demonstrate how “Trump doesn’t care about America.”
