Trump uses Los Angeles fires to criticise democrats: 'This is all his fault!'
Washington: Incoming US President Donald Trump has ignited a political feud with both outgoing President Joe Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom amid the devastating wildfires ravaging Los Angeles. On Thursday, Trump launched a series of attacks accusing Newsom of mismanaging the crisis, including an unsubstantiated claim about the state's water usage.
Trump posted on his Truth Social account, calling for Newsom to resign. “Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” he wrote, using his familiar derogatory nickname for the governor, who is often seen as a potential candidate for president. Trump also tied the fires to his upcoming presidency, saying, "This is emblematic of the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo." He added that January 20, the day he replaces Biden in the White House, "cannot come fast enough."
Biden responds, calls for focus on crisis management
In response, President Biden urged against making the fires a political issue. Speaking from the White House, Biden emphasised that the situation was about providing support to the people affected. "I’m leaving this office very shortly, but it’s not about the politics," he said. "It’s about giving people some sense of security that we’re going to be able to get this under control."
Biden had planned a trip to Italy to meet Pope Francis, but he canceled it on Wednesday night to stay in Washington and address the fire crisis.
Federal support for california fires
Biden announced new federal funding and resources to help California combat what he described as the most destructive wildfires in the state's history. He specifically aimed to counter Trump’s claims that California's water shortage was caused by Democratic mismanagement. Trump had accused Newsom of prioritising the protection of a fish species over firefighting efforts, stating that Newsom blocked water flow to "protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt."
Biden responded to the water accusations, stating that the problem was due to power outages that took water pumps offline, not water management issues. "In crisis, rumors and fear spread very quickly," Biden said, urging officials to communicate the facts and prevent misinformation from spreading.
Biden also used the occasion to highlight the issue of climate change, which he said was a major factor in the wildfires. "Climate change is real," he stated, a point of contention with Trump, who has previously downplayed its effects and threatened to reverse efforts to combat global warming when he takes office.
Trump criticises funding allocation
Trump also criticized Biden for prioritizing climate initiatives over emergency response funding. On Truth Social, he accused Biden of diverting resources to "Green New Scam" policies instead of supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Biden has consistently denied such claims, particularly after Trump made similar accusations following recent hurricanes.
California Governor Newsom, appearing on CNN, rejected Trump’s accusations, saying, "People are literally fleeing... This guy wanted to politicize it." Newsom emphasized the need for unity in addressing the crisis rather than turning it into a political fight.
Conspiracy theories surround wildfires
As the wildfires continued to rage, conspiracy theories about the disaster spread rapidly online. Some unproven claims suggested that firefighting equipment had been sent to Ukraine or that staffing shortages were caused by diversity initiatives. Elon Musk, a prominent Trump ally and the world’s richest person, used his social media platform X to amplify some of these theories, further fueling controversy.
The Los Angeles fires, now among the deadliest in the state’s history, have become a major political battleground as both sides use the crisis to argue their positions on leadership, disaster management, and climate change.
Agency