Newsom uses LA fires to criticize President Trump’s repeal of Biden-era climate emissions standards
In an obvious jab at the president Donald Trump, Governor Gavin Newsom suggested that the Los Angeles fires were the result of climate change, urging skeptics to: “If you don’t believe the science, believe your own damn eyes.”
He wrote the words in a statement released Tuesday in response to Trump’s executive orders on the environment and paired them with horrific images of wildfires raging in California that have so far killed 27 people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes and structures.
Trump, who was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, signed several executive orders voiding parts of former President Joe Biden’s contract climate agendaincluding withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement – a legally binding treaty between nearly 195 parties committed to international cooperation on climate change.
In response to Trump’s distancing himself from the climate pact, which sought to reduce emissions by 61-66% by 2035, the California governor suggested that withdrawing from the global emissions accord was contributing to environmental incidents such as the West Coast wildfires.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the Pacific Palisades central business district as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer)
Several other Democratic representatives across the country have also tried to blame the catastrophic fires on climate change, despite residents angering local officials after some fire hydrants failed to produce water in areas affected by the fires.
“The scale of damage and loss is unimaginable. Climate change is real, not a ‘hoax.’ Donald Trump must treat this as the existential crisis it is,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in a social media post in January.
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The claims come as California officials continue to receive backlash over the funding diversity, equity and inclusion in the city, while the fire department’s budget was reduced by $17.6 million this year.
President Donald Trump finds a letter from former President Joe Biden while signing executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC (Anna Moneymaker)
“When you just look at the water not coming out of the fire hydrants and nobody seems to know why. And then the governor says, ‘Well, I’m going to look into it,’ it’s just kind of a sideshow at a time when we need really definitive, strong leadership,” House Minority Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital from Newsom.
Actor Michael Rapaport too cursed by Newsom because he talked about “Trump-proofing” California before his inauguration instead of focusing on “fireproofing” the state.
“If you’re going to run a city or a state, you have to take care of the basics, which is to make sure your fire and police departments are well-funded,” director and former “Family Ties” star Justine Bateman told Fox News’ Jessie Watters.
Fire crews monitor the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Jae C. Hong)
Newsom extended an invitation to Trump to visit those areas in California which were affected by fires.
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Trump told attendees at a pre-inauguration rally that he plans to visit Southern California later this week, marking his first trip to the state since being sworn in as president.
Fox News’ Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
