Trump threatens to end federal aid to California in tweets slamming Gov. Gavin Newsom

SAN FRANCISCO — Just days after Gov. Gavin Newsom praised the federal authorities for its response to catastrophic wildfires and power outages affecting hundreds of thousands, President Donald Trump on Sunday slammed the California Democrat — and threatened to cut off future federal funding to the fire-battered state.

Trump, in a spate of postings on Twitter, lambasted what he referred to as Newsom’s “terrible job” relating to the state’s forest management practices, saying that the governor should cease listening to environmentalist “bosses” and “clear” the forest floors. And he additionally slammed Newsom for state water-management practices, suggesting that California should open up what he referred to as “ridiculously closed water lanes.”

Saying Newsom had repeatedly requested federal funds, Trump threatened to chop him off.

“Yearly, as the hearth’s rage & California burns, it is identical factor—and then he comes to the Federal Authorities for $$$ assist. No extra,” the president tweeted.

He then tweaked Newsom’s leadership: “Get your act collectively Governor.”

The governor responded a short while later.

“We’re successfully waging struggle towards hundreds of fires began throughout the state in the previous few weeks because of extreme climate created by local weather change whereas Trump is conducting a full on assault towards the antidotes,” he advised POLITICO in a statement.

His workplace additionally pushed again exhausting towards Trump, noting that the governor’s hearth prevention and management tasks included an investment of $225.8 million to assist streamline packages particularly aimed toward “decreasing fuels within the forest, growing forest well being, and defensible area around houses.’’ The governor’s workplace in addition stated that there have been presently 35 priority projects along with the redeployment of National Guard personnel to help the California Department of Forestry and Hearth Safety in controlling the fires.

Newsom in current weeks has laid into PG&E, the investor-owned utility that has been blamed for sparking catastrophic fires because of its outdated gear and failed infrastructure. He has stated he might explore a takeover of the utility until it emerges from chapter with a strong plan to shield California householders and shoppers and keep away from widespread outages earlier than the 2020 hearth season.

Sunday was not the primary time the president has vowed to withdraw federal funding from the state — though he has never made good on the menace. He did so back in January, saying that “until they get their act together, which is unlikely, I've ordered FEMA to ship no extra money.”

After that tweet, following the Paradise-based Camp Hearth, which killed greater than 80 individuals, Newsom responded that “disasters and recovery are not any time for politics,’’ and stated the state was working exhausting to “modernize and manage our forest and emergency responses.”

Scott McLean, a spokesman for the California Division of Forestry and Hearth Safety, cited the governor’s leadership in directing the company to pursue 35 precedence tasks to scale back wildfire danger in weak communities. That’s in addition to Cal Hearth’s often scheduled prescribed burns and gasoline reductions, he added.

“We are in a superb place, and we’re very lively,” McLean stated.

He added that California experienced one in every of its “greatest winters in a very long time,” which means that state firefighters now had sufficient water access to fight blazes. McLean also famous that oversight of the state’s land was divided between local governments, Cal Hearth and the U.S. Forest Service — which means that the Trump-controlled federal agency had some duty for the present state of affairs, too.

Trump’s string of tweets on California kicked off Sunday with: “The Governor of California, @GavinNewsom has finished a horrible job of forest management. I advised him from the primary day we met that he must ‘clean’ his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him. Should additionally do burns and reduce hearth stoppers.”

He finished: “But our teams are working properly together in..... ...putting these massive, and many, fires out. Great firefighters! Also, open up the ridiculously closed water lanes coming down from the North. Don’t pour it out into the Pacific Ocean. Must be completed immediately. California desperately wants water, and you may have it now!”

Article originally revealed on POLITICO Magazine

Src: Trump threatens to end federal aid to California in tweets slamming Gov. Gavin Newsom
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