Resurfaced Video Of Trump Addressing California Fire Policies Vindicates Him

A resurfaced video of former President Donald Trump discussing California’s wildfire policies has gained renewed attention as massive fires continue to devastate Los Angeles County, forcing thousands to flee their homes.

The viral clip, taken from a three-month-old interview on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, showcases Trump’s pointed criticism of California’s environmental regulations and forest management practices. With three major wildfires currently raging and no signs of containment, many are revisiting Trump’s remarks in light of the ongoing crisis.

In the podcast, Trump expressed frustration over California’s lack of water reservoirs and inadequate forest management, which he argued are key factors in preventing catastrophic wildfires.

“They said, ‘We have no water,’” Trump told Rogan. “I said, do you have a drought? ‘No, we don’t have a drought.’ I said, why do you have no water? ‘Because the water isn’t allowed to flow down.’ It’s got a natural flow from Canada all the way up north, more water than they could ever use. And in order to protect a tiny little fish, the water up north gets routed into the Pacific Ocean. Millions and millions of gallons of water gets poured.”

Trump’s comments highlighted his long-standing criticism of environmental policies aimed at protecting the delta smelt, a small fish native to California’s waterways. He argued that prioritizing the fish over the needs of residents has contributed to the state’s fire problems, a claim now being reconsidered as fires continue to cause extensive damage.

“I could have water for all of that land, water for your forests,” Trump said. “You know your forests are dry as a bone.” He added that simple forest maintenance practices, like clearing dead trees and leaves, could prevent billions of dollars in fire damage annually.

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This week, Trump used his Truth Social platform to criticize Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of California’s water crisis.

“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump wrote.

Trump accused Newsom of prioritizing the delta smelt over human safety, stating, “He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt… but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid.”

As the fires spread, more criticism has been directed at Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for their handling of the crisis. Celebrities have also voiced their frustrations on social media.

Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar took to Instagram to call out Mayor Bass as the Palisades Fire burned in Los Angeles. “City of LA you want everyone to evacuate yet you have complete gridlock and not one traffic cop on the roads helping,” Gellar posted, tagging the city’s official social media accounts and the mayor’s handle.

Former “Dancing with the Stars” professional Valentin Chmerkovskiy expressed his outrage on social media, writing, “5th largest economy on the planet. Firefighters didn’t have enough water pressure to do their jobs?! Are you joking me?! The taxes we pay for 3rd world infrastructure is unbelievable?! Come on.”

Actress Sara Foster also voiced her frustration on X, saying, “We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits. @MayorOfLA @GavinNewsom RESIGN. Your far left policies have ruined our state. And also our party.”

Celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels, who lost her home in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, also criticized California’s leadership on X. “The mayor is apparently in Ghana,” she wrote. “The fire departments budget was apparently cut by 17 mil. And someone made the decision to not refill some of the reservoirs – now some fire hydrants are dry. Leadership in California is beyond negligent. This is completely unacceptable.”