California Governor Gavin Newsom has directly challenged President-elect Donald Trump, inviting him to witness the wildfire situation firsthand.
This comes after Trump’s criticism of California authorities’ response to the Los Angeles (LA) wildfires.
On Sunday, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, criticizing the incompetent pols for having no idea how to put them out. While he did not mention specific names, the comments were widely interpreted as targeting Governor Newsom, a potential Democratic presidential candidate.
Trump stated, “Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place.” He sharply criticized, “This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?”
Newsom countered by accusing Trump of spreading false information and invited him to assess the situation himself.
During an appearance on NBC‘s “Meet the Press,” Newsom emphasized, “Mis- and disinformation I don’t think advantages or aids any of us.”
This was in response to Trump’s social media posts claiming that Newsom had blocked the water supply from Northern to Southern California due to concerns over endangered species.
Last Friday, Newsom sent an invitation letter to Trump, urging him to visit California to see the affected areas firsthand. During an interview, Newsom stated that he extended the invitation in a spirit of cooperation rather than confrontation but noted that he had not yet received a response.
Newsom expressed concern that Trump, who has previously withheld federal disaster aid from states with which we had conflicts, might follow through with similar threats after taking office.
The fire, which began on January 7 in the affluent Pacific Palisades area near LA, has claimed 16 lives, left 16 people missing, and destroyed over 14,000 buildings.
