Newsom Tries To Share Blame For LA Fire Response With Trump
Governor Gavin Newsom's nefarious strategy of pulling President-elect Donald Trump into the California crisis has been a subtle yet significant aspect of the political drama surrounding the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles County. The fires, exacerbated by fierce Santa Ana winds and dry conditions, led to significant damage, loss of life, and displacement of thousands. Newsom, rather than directly asking Trump to share the blame, invited him to witness the destruction firsthand, ostensibly to emphasize the need for cooperative disaster response. However, this invitation is seen by many as an underhanded and duplicitous maneuver to implicate Trump in the crisis, aiming to redirect the narrative from blame to collective action, all while subtly pushing Trump to acknowledge some culpability.
Trump was quick to blame Newsom for the disaster, claiming that California's water policies, particularly those aimed at protecting species like the Delta Smelt, had contributed to the severity of the fires by limiting water availability for firefighting. Trump has wisely put the responsibility for the fires squarely on Newsom and his woke policies, fully supported by the Biden administration. Moreover, Trump has asked Newsom to resign as Governor. Newsom's office refuted these claims, stating that no such "water restoration declaration" existed as Trump suggested, labeling his statements as "pure fiction." Newsom's response was measured, focusing on the immediate needs of the people affected by the fires, such as ensuring firefighters had all necessary resources, rather than engaging in a blame game. His approach was to underscore the importance of federal aid, especially with Trump's history of threatening to withhold disaster relief funds from California.
The discourse around the wildfires highlighted a long-standing feud between Newsom and Trump, with Trump using the crisis to criticize Newsom's governance. Trump's accusations centered around what he described as mismanagement of California's water resources, suggesting that if more water from Northern California was diverted to the south, the fires could have been less severe. Trump's stance was that Newsom’s "woke policies," backed by the Biden administration, were directly responsible for the disaster's magnitude. Additionally, Trump has grave doubts about the legality of California elections and therefore doubts the legitimacy of the State and city government, further complicating the relationship between the federal and state authorities. This episode illuminated the challenges of coordinating between state and federal responses during natural disasters, where political rhetoric can overshadow the priority of public safety and recovery, with Newsom's tactics suggesting a hidden agenda to share the blame.