Trump’s Early Warning About California Wildfires Ignored As Crisis Unfolds

As devastating wildfires continue to ravage California, a resurfaced interview reveals that President-elect Donald Trump warned about the looming disaster months ago. In an October appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Trump criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for mismanaging the state’s water supply and failing to address critical forest management issues, both of which Trump claimed would worsen wildfire risks. Trump’s early warning about these dangers was echoed in the interview.

Trump highlighted how California’s water policies have diverted water away from farmlands and forests to protect the delta smelt, a small fish species. He described driving through barren California farmlands with members of Congress and learning that restrictions on water flow from northern California were leaving the land dry and vulnerable. Trump argued that this mismanagement was contributing to dangerously dry forests, creating perfect conditions for wildfires.

“I could have water for all of that land. Water for your forests. You know, your forests are dry as a bone,” Trump told Rogan. He criticized Newsom for refusing to sign off on policies that would have redirected water to areas in need, calling it a major factor in California’s ongoing fire crisis.

Now, with wildfires raging out of control and claiming lives, Trump’s warning appears to have been dismissed by California leadership. Trump took to Truth Social to condemn Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for what he described as “gross negligence” in managing the crisis. He also slammed FEMA for lacking the resources to respond effectively, blaming wasteful spending on environmental policies rather than disaster preparedness.

This isn’t the first time Trump has clashed with California officials over forest and water management. In 2020, Newsom sued the Trump administration to block water rules that could have redirected over 600,000 acre-feet of water annually to southern California. Trump argued that this decision left forests dry and more susceptible to catastrophic fires.

As firefighters struggle to contain the growing blazes, many are now questioning whether Trump’s early warnings should have been taken seriously. The state’s failure to act on these concerns has left communities vulnerable and California facing one of its most severe wildfire seasons yet.

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