Trump on LA Wildfire: "0% Containment Disaster... All Democrats and Newsom's Fault"

"Everything is his responsibility." Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, on the 8th (local time), described the massive wildfire that occurred in Los Angeles (LA), California, as a "true disaster" and blamed Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. Governor Newsom is considered a leading Democratic presidential contender.

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On the same day, Trump posted on the social networking service (SNS) he founded, Truth Social, stating, "Newsom refused to sign a water restoration declaration that would allow millions of gallons (3.78ℓ) of water from the heavy rain and snow in the north to flow daily to various parts of California, including the burning areas that are practically facing an apocalypse."

He mentioned that Governor Newsom "essentially chose to protect the useless fish called 'smelt'" and said, "He did not care about the people of California. Now they are paying a huge price." He also added, "This incompetent governor will be demanded to supply beautiful, clean, and fresh water to California," and "All of this is his (Newsom's) responsibility. Above all, there is no water to supply fire hydrants and firefighting aircraft. A true disaster."

Earlier, Governor Newsom had limited the amount of water supplied from the water-rich Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Northern California to other regions to protect the smelt. On the other hand, Trump promised to supply sufficient water from this area and warned that if Governor Newsom did not change this policy, federal government support for California wildfires would be withheld.

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Shortly after, Trump posted an additional message saying, "Up to this moment, 'Gavin Newscum' and his LA team have not contained the fire even 0%. The wildfire is burning beyond last night’s level," and "This is not a government. I cannot wait until January 20th (presidential inauguration)." The term 'Newscum' mentioned by Trump is a combination of Governor Gavin Newsom's name and the word 'scum,' meaning dregs or trash, used to mock and disdain him.

Furthermore, regarding Democratic President Joe Biden, who is soon to leave office, Trump sarcastically said, "There is no water in the fire hydrants, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has no money. This is what Joe Biden left me," adding, "Thank you, Joe." Trump noted that this LA wildfire could be recorded as the worst fire in history in terms of dollar value and expressed doubts about whether insurance companies have enough money to pay for this disaster. He continued, "I hope this incident symbolically shows the severe incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden-Newscum duo," and added, "I hope January 20th comes quickly."

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California is inspecting the wildfire damage site at Pacific Palisades on the Los Angeles (LA) coast on the 8th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

On the other hand, Governor Newsom's office dismissed Trump's claims, stating, "We are focused on protecting lives and securing all necessary resources for firefighters, not politics." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Newsom's office rebutted, "Documents like the water restoration declaration do not exist. That (Trump's mention) is pure fiction."

The wildfire that broke out the previous morning in Pacific Palisades along the LA coast is spreading rapidly due to the localized gusty winds called 'Santa Ana.' Combined with other wildfires such as Eaton, Hurst, and Woodley, at least two people have died and over 1,000 buildings have been destroyed so far. In response, Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency, and President Biden also announced federal-level support necessary for firefighting efforts. Local media warn that with a containment rate of 0%, firefighting itself is difficult, and the fire is spreading, raising concerns that casualties may increase further.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.