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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized media coverage for failing to hold California’s Democratic leaders accountable for devastating wildfires, contrasting it with how Republican leaders are often treated during disasters.
On Thursday evening, following a dinner at Mar-a-Lago with President-elect Trump and other Republican governors, DeSantis engaged in a heated exchange with a reporter who appeared to question the appropriateness of Trump’s criticisms of Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom amidst the wildfires.
“Is it appropriate for people in your industry to try to create division and to try to create narratives any time these things happen?” DeSantis challenged. “Now, you’re not as interested in doing that because Newsom is a D. If Newsom was a Republican, you guys would go try… you would have him nailed to the wall for what they’re doing over there.”
DeSantis, who has overseen multiple disasters as governor, compared this to his own experience, noting that he has often been criticized for events beyond his control, such as the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse. “I think your track record of politicizing these things is very, very bad,” he said.
The Florida governor further pointed to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, criticizing her decision to travel to Ghana during a high-risk fire period. “You should have been there preparing and doing that, and yet I don’t see a lot of heat being directed [toward her],” he added. “I’d like to see some balance on how this is done. You can criticize the president-elect, but you also have to hold these other people accountable, and I have not seen that.”
Bass returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday and largely avoided reporters’ questions, including those from Sky News’ David Blevins, who asked if she had an apology for residents or if the Ghana trip was ill-timed. Bass did not respond, looking down as Blevins pressed, “Madam mayor, let me ask you just again, have you anything to say to the citizens today as you return?”
The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County have led to mounting criticism of both Newsom and Bass. Residents have cited past fire-prevention policy decisions, including Bass’ controversial $17 million budget cut to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
As of Thursday evening, the wildfires have claimed at least 10 lives, scorched more than 35,800 acres, and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. Firefighters continued to struggle against the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire — the two largest blazes — which were only 6% and 0% contained, respectively, according to CAL FIRE.
