Trump says Newsom is to 'blame' for 'apocalyptic' wildfires

"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. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!" 

At least four wildfires are currently raging in Los Angeles County, tearing through the Pacific Palisades and Sylmar neighborhoods of Los Angeles, as well as near Pasadena. At least 30,000 residents have evacuated the area, as swanky mansions and homes are threatened by the devastation or have already been incinerated. 

Newsom's director of communications Izzy Gardon told Fox Digital in response to Trump's Truth Social: "We're focused on protecting lives and battling these blazes-not playing politics."

"There is no such document as the water restoration declaration - that is pure fiction. The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need," Gardon said in a follow-up comment.

"This is a highly dangerous windstorm that's creating extreme fire risk - and we're not out of the woods. We're already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes," Newsom said in a statement. "Our deepest thanks go to our expert firefighters and first responders who jumped quickly into fighting this dangerous fire. If you're in Southern California, please pay attention to weather reports and follow any guidance from emergency officials."

 "You have millions of gallons of water pouring down from the north with the snow caps and Canada, and all pouring down and they have essentially a very large faucet," Trump said in September. 

"You turn the faucet and it takes one day to turn it, and it's massive, it's as big as the wall of that building right there behind you. You turn that, and all of that water aimlessly goes into the Pacific (Ocean), and if they turned it back, all of that water would come right down here and right into Los Angeles," he said.

During Trump's first administration, the former and upcoming president frequently put Newsom's leadership over wildfire prevention under the microscope, including threatening to withhold federal funds over the yearly fires.

"There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!," Trump posted to X in 2018.