President Donald Trump on Sunday blasted California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a series of Twitter posts, for his handling of the devastating wildfires that continue to blaze across the state.
Trump said Newsom, a Democrat, has “done a terrible job of forest management.” In a second tweet, the president told Newsom California will no longer receive federal government money for help, adding, “Get your act together Governor.”
In a final post, Trump said California desperately needs water and called for opening up “the ridiculously closed water lanes coming down from the North. Don’t pour it out into the Pacific Ocean.”
Later, returning to the White House from a trip to New York, the president told reporters that Newsom “is like a child.”
Newsom responded to Trump’s tweets with his own, saying “You don’t believe in climate change. You are excused from this conversation.”
The president has tweeted on the subject several times, including in August 2018 that “bad environmental laws” and water diversion were behind the state’s wildfires. In January, Trump said he’s ordered that the federal government send no more money to California.
Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, who joined Trump during a trip to New York on Saturday that included attending a mixed martial arts fight at Madison Square Garden, has said he’ll continue to try to ensure disaster-related funding for his state.
© Copyright 2024 Bloomberg News. All rights reserved.