US President-elect Donald Trump intensified criticism of California officials on Sunday, labelling them “incompetent” for failing to extinguish the Los Angeles wildfires that have ravaged the state since Tuesday.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “The fires are still raging in LA The incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out.” “This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” he added.
Trump’s remarks have escalated tensions with California Governor Gavin Newsom, who accused the president-elect of politicising the disaster.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Newsom said he had extended an invitation to Trump to visit the affected areas, “in the spirit of cooperation,” but had yet to receive a response. Newsom also criticised Trump’s threats to withhold federal disaster assistance, saying such actions would endanger the work of first responders.
Trump further accused Newsom of blocking access to water resources over environmental concerns—a claim the governor’s office denied, stating that no such water restrictions existed. In a statement, Newsom’s team said the administration was “focused on saving lives and supporting firefighters, not playing politics.”
The rapid spread and intensity of the wildfires tearing through Los Angeles have strained the city’s firefighting capabilities and sparked criticism about California’s level of preparedness.
