Trump blames Newsom’s water policies for the Los Angeles fires

In January 2025, President-elect Donald Trump criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom, alleging that the state’s water management policies caused the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles to become worse. Trump claimed that efforts to save the endangered Delta smelt fish diverted water away from Southern California, making the fires worse.

Trump’s claims

Trump accused Newsom of prioritizing environmental concerns over human needs, suggesting that water restrictions aimed at saving the Delta smelt led to inadequate water supplies for firefighting efforts in Los Angeles. He argued that redirecting water from Northern California to Southern California could have reduced the severity of the wildfires.

The reality of California water management

Experts and state officials have refuted Trump’s claims. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) reported that the city’s water supply was under extreme pressure due to the demands of the Palisades fire, the most destructive in the city’s history. Fire hydrants ran dry, impacting firefighting efforts and destroying at least 1,000 buildings.

However, water shortages during firefighting efforts were not due to environmental policies protecting the delta smelt. Instead, they were due to the immediate pressure on local water infrastructure caused by the fires. The LADWP struggled to maintain water supplies despite pumping from aqueducts and groundwater sources.

Experts’ Opinion

Mark Gold, water shortage director for the Natural Resources Defense Council and a board member of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said Trump’s comments did not reflect California’s complex water supply systems and only fueled political discontent. He emphasized that the issue was not one of getting enough water from Northern California, but the devastating effects of a changing climate