Trump says he'd withhold federal aid for California wildfires if elected, insults Newsom
President Trump tours the Paradise, Calif. burn zones on Saturday Nov. 17 with state and city leaders, including Governor Jerry Brown and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom.
LOS ANGELES - Former President Donald Trump held a news conference in Los Angeles where he said if he's elected, he would withhold federal aid for California wildfires if Governor Gavin Newsom doesn't change his water policy.
"And if he doesn't sign those papers, we won't give him money to put out all his fires. And if we don't give him the money to put out his fires, he's got problems. He's a lousy governor," Trump said on Friday.
Trump said that 100% of the water that goes to protect fish species, such as the Delta smelt, should go to farmers instead. This has been a cause he has argued for since his term as president.
In response, Gov. Newsom said, "Today it's California's wildfires, tomorrow it could be hurricane funding for North Carolina or flooding assistance for homeowners in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump doesn't care about America – he only cares about himself."
The Bay Area Council, a San Francisco-based nonprofit focused on business leaders and sustainability, weighed in on the former president's threat. Jim Wunderman, Bay Area Council's president and CEO, wondered if Trump "would be so bold" to withhold those funds if the Golden State threatened to withhold "the 15% of U.S. economic activity" the state contributes to national GDP. He went on to point out outsizes California contributes in income and business taxes in comparison to other states, highlighting the state as an economic force.
"Threatening to kill the goose that lays your golden eggs is a questionable economic strategy," Wunderman concluded.
Trump is in the Bay Area this evening where he is holding a fundraiser in Woodside where tickets are going for as much as $250,000 a person.
Featured
Trump in California: Los Angeles and Bay Area
Former President Donald Trump, fresh off his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, is appearing in California on Friday, first in Los Angeles and then in the Bay Area.