Trump Vows ‘No More’ Federal Aid to California as Wildfires Burn the State

With wildfires raging across California, President Donald Trump put pressure on Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday by threatening to cut federal funding 

In a series of tweets, Trump said that Newsom has “done a terrible job of forest management” and told the Democrat: “Get your act together Governor.” The president said he was done sending emergency funding to the fire-plagued state.

..Every year, as the fire’s rage & California burns, it is the same thing-and then he comes to the Federal Government for $$$ help. No more. Get your act together Governor. You don’t see close to the level of burn in other states…But our teams are working well together in…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2019

Trump also offered advice to Newsom on how to address the problem.

….putting these massive, and many, fires out. Great firefighters! Also, open up the ridiculously closed water lanes coming down from the North. Don’t pour it out into the Pacific Ocean. Should be done immediately. California desperately needs water, and you can have it now!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2019

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Newsom responded by tweeting, “You don’t believe in climate change. You are excused from this conversation.”

You don’t believe in climate change. You are excused from this conversation. https://t.co/PSt8N39Er5

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 3, 2019

“We’re successfully waging war against thousands of fires started across the state in the last few weeks due to extreme weather created by climate change while Trump is conducting a full on assault against the antidotes,” Newsom said later in a statement.

Although Trump has long feuded with California, the Twitter exchange marked an abrupt change of tone for Newsom. Just three days earlier, he thanked Trump in a tweet after the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved help in fighting two wildfires burning in Southern California.

Thank you, @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/B7WU0Idn0J

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 31, 2019

Most of California’s forests — 57 percent of the 33 million acres — are federally managed, Fox 2 reported, citing government data.

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Trump had previously been mostly quiet on the California blazes since the Kincade Fire broke out in late October. In total, almost 200,000 acres of land have been ravaged by fires in California this year, and 115 buildings have been destroyed in the past 10 days alone. At least three people are reported to have died.

However, Trump has warned California that he would cut the state off before. In January, he tweeted that he had “ordered FEMA to send no more money.” And last November, he criticized California’s forest management, warning on Twitter, “Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!

In neither case, though, did Trump follow through.

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Pluralist

Andrew Tobin is Pluralist’s Editor-in-chief.

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