Trump vs. Newsom: Why the President-Elect is Blaming Wildfires on a 3-Inch Endangered Fish

Government officials estimate the ongoing Los Angeles fires could cause more than $50 billion in damages. Republicans argue that California’s water management policies hindered emergency responders’ ability to contain the disaster.

At the center of President-elect Donald Trump’s criticism is Governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of state resources, specifically conservation measures protecting the delta smelt, an endangered 3-inch fish native to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump wrote on Wednesday on Truth Social. “He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid.”

Trump continued in a second post, saying, “One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”

Newsom’s office responded by calling Trump’s claims “pure fiction.”

“There is no such document as the water restoration declaration — that is pure fiction,” said Izzy Gardon, Newsom’s communications director. “The governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need.”

This is not the first time Trump has used the delta smelt as a vehicle to criticize California’s Democratic leadership. He targeted the state’s environmental protections during his 2016 campaign in an effort to appeal to Republican voters. These attacks paralleled similar criticisms from figures like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK).

In office, Trump signed a presidential memorandum seeking to override California’s environmental protections to funnel water to farmers. Newsom opposed the directive in court, and a Sacramento County judge upheld California’s water rules last spring, supporting the State Water Resources Control Board’s efforts to sustain smelt populations.

Trump revisited the topic during his 2024 campaign. At a September press conference in Los Angeles, he warned that if Newsom didn’t loosen regulations limiting water extraction from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, federal aid to fight wildfires could be withheld.

“Gavin Newscum is gonna sign those papers, and if he doesn’t sign those papers, we won’t give him money to put out his fires,” Trump said. “If we don’t give him money to put out his fires, he’s got problems.”

California officials, however, attribute the severity of this week’s fires to unusually high winds rather than water policies. Still, emergency responders temporarily depleted their water supply while battling the flames.

“A firefight with multiple fire hydrants drawing water from the system for several hours is unsustainable. This is a known fact,” said Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella at a press conference on Wednesday. “I would ask that you turn off your water and turn off your gas, both things, before you leave the residence so that we can continue to have that water supply for the hydrant system.”