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California Governor Gavin Newsom recently sought to shift blame for the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, holding local leaders and his team accountable rather than taking personal responsibility as the state’s governor.
During a Saturday appearance on the Pod Save America podcast, Newsom addressed criticism of the state’s wildfire preparedness efforts. He stated, “So, I’m the governor of California and wanna know the answer. I’ve got that question, I can’t tell you, by how many people, ‘What happened?’ – on my own team, ‘What happened?’ … I’ll be candid with you, I wasn’t getting straight answers.”
In response, co-host Jon Favreau pushed back, saying that one of his “best friends” who lost their home to the fires accused Newsom of “just trying to pass the blame,” emphasizing the governor’s ultimate responsibility for the state’s response. Newsom acknowledged the shortcomings in wildfire management but reiterated that he faced inconsistent feedback from his team.
“We had my team start talking to local leaders, saying, ‘What’s going on?’” Newsom continued. “I was getting different answers. And so, for me, that’s not a – when you start getting different answers, then I’m not getting the actual story,” he added.
Residents across Los Angeles County have heavily criticized the state’s leadership for inadequate preparation and slow responses. The fires have so far claimed at least 16 lives and burned through over 37,000 acres, prompting calls for Newsom’s resignation.
Additionally, the governor has faced scrutiny for cutting $101 million from wildfire and forest resilience programs in 2024, according to Newsweek.
Former President Donald Trump also weighed in, blaming Newsom for the catastrophe and linking the disaster to water mismanagement policies. On Truth Social, Trump accused Newsom of refusing to sign a water restoration declaration, which Trump claimed could have diverted water to regions now devastated by fires.
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration… He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt… but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid,” Trump wrote. He further condemned California’s inability to contain the fires, calling the response “one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our country.”
Newsom dismissed Trump’s comments as baseless attacks, calling them “words, a salad, and the form and substance of fog.”
As the Palisades and Eaton fires continue to spread, firefighters struggle to achieve significant containment, with the Palisades Fire currently at 11% containment and the Eaton Fire at 27%. Newsom’s public comments and overall wildfire strategy remain under intense scrutiny as the state grapples with this unprecedented crisis.
