California Governor Gavin Newsom has rejected criticism of his handling of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires saying he is "not interested in politicizing a natural disaster."
Newsom also posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, urging President-elect Donald Trump to visit the disaster area in person to "understand the magnitude" of the wildfires.
Newsweek contacted Governor Newsom and Trump's presidential transition team for comment by email on Saturday outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Trump has been fiercely critical of Newsom's record over the fires, branding him "Newscum" on his Truth Social website and saying the disaster is "all his fault."
Newsom is one of the most prominent Democrats in the United States and has been widely tipped as a possible contender for his party's 2028 presidential nomination.
What To Know
In his X post on Friday, Newsom wrote: "I'm not interested in politicizing a natural disaster."
He included a short clip of himself speaking to a reporter in Los Angeles in which he said the disaster should not be politicized.
Standing in front of destroyed buildings, the governor said: "I'm not interested in politicizing an event like this, I don't like the venality of it, I don't like the inhumanity of that, I would like people to focus on a collaboration between the executive in Washington D.C. and in the state of California to help rebuild a community that's been completely ravaged."
Newsom called on Trump to visit the disaster scene, commenting: "I'd like to have that conversation with the next president of the United States. Let's turn the page as it relates to the incoming president. We'd like him to have the spirit of the current president and have the backs of people so we can recover. I want him to visit and understand the magnitude of this scope."
On Friday, authorities confirmed that 11 people had died since wildfires broke out on the northern and western outskirts of Los Angeles on Tuesday, with the infernos having burned through more than 37,000 acres according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE).
Friday also saw Newsom's office accuse the California Assembly Republicans of promoting "flat out false and misleading information" after they alleged the governor had "cut funding for fire prevention by 80%" since 2021.
In response, the governor's team said CAL FIRE's budget had nearly doubled from $2 billion to $3.8 billion since he took office in 2019, with the "budget for managing the forest...now TEN TIMES larger" than it was when he took office."
According to research by the independent California Legislative Analyst's Office, the 2024-25 California state budget did cut funding for wildfire and forest resilience by $101 million. However, speaking to Newsweek, a spokesperson for Newsom noted that under the governor's "leadership", the CAL FIRE budget and personnel had both increased substantially since 2019.
What People Are Saying
On X, Michael Shellenberger, professor at the University of Austin, said: "Some reporters and scientists are blaming climate change for the lack of rain in LA. It's ridiculous. There's no trend in annual rainfall from 1877 to 2024. We have wet years and dry years. Climate change isn't responsible for the LA fires. Gavin Newsom and [Los Angeles Mayor] Karen Bass are."
Author and podcaster Brian J. Karem wrote: "I have evacuated 2 sons in the last 2 days. Thank God they are safe. Anyone who blames Gavin Newsom for this is a moron. Wildfires are an act of God or an arsonist. Newsom is neither.
Mankind is responsible for the severity of the fire because of climate change. Facts."
National Review senior editor Jay Nordlinger said: "Trump has criticisms of Gavin Newsom. So he calls him "Newscum." My worry is that Trump has normalized this. Millions of young people think this is how conservatives are supposed to talk. Otherwise, you're not a real conservative. This will have long-lasting, and bad, effects."
What Happens Next
More dangerous winds are expected to strike Los Angeles during the weekend, likely hampering efforts to bring the wildfires under control. According to ABC 7 News, a "new wind event" is expected to strike the city on Saturday night, with wind speeds up between 20 and 40 miles per hour, before dissipating on Sunday morning.
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