Newsom accuses Trump of diverting wildfire resources for 'political theater'

Lia Russell, The Sacramento Bee on Jul 1, 2025

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Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday publicly asked President Donald Trump to commit more resources to managing California’s federal lands, accusing the administration of engaging in “political theater” by diverting California National Guard members away from firefighting duties as the state heads into wildfire season.

Newsom has repeatedly attacked Trump in the month since the Pentagon seized control of the California National Guard and sent federal troops to suppress protests in Los Angeles. In media interviews and online, the governor has called Trump a “liar” for misrepresenting a June 6 phone call they had, sued Fox News over its coverage of that call and depicted him in memes as various fictional villains.

The two have not spoken since that call, Newsom told reporters at a press conference in Placer County on Tuesday.

He called upon the president to commit more resources to managing the 57% of forest land that it manages in California, saying the state government had done more than its fair share in the wake of federal cuts to agencies like the U.S. Forest Service. He also said that a number of the 4,000 National Guard troops the Pentagon seized control of were taken off of teams devoted to preparing for and fighting wildfires.

“The state has seriously resolved to commit to do more than we have, historically, and we need to match, or see that ambition matched at the federal level,” Newsom told reporters. The governor also held up a mock executive order he had drafted, which he said the president could sign as soon as he “made his way back from some East Coast Alcatraz,” referring to Trump’s visit to a proposed immigration detention facility in Florida.

The Trump administration seized control of the California National Guard last month to send troops to protests in Los Angeles, arguing that Newsom and local leaders had “lost control” and let the city descend into chaos. California has sued to regain control, and U.S. Northern Command has asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to pull back 200 troops to return them to state wildfire fighting duties.

“They took teachers out of schools, they took firefighters out of stations, they took law enforcement off the streets. They took people away from their families and homes for nothing,” Newsom told reporters. “They were taken off those critical assignments for theater, for nothing more than theater.”

Trump has previously blamed California’s frequent wildfires on its environmental policies, and said the state should “rake” the floor of its forests to prevent future infernos. He frequently needles his political opponent during crises, and in a statement via a spokesperson, called the governor by an oft-used derogatory nickname.

“Instead of blaming federal funding, Gavin Newscum should own up to his failure to prepare for fire season — including his $144 million cut to wildfire funding in California,” said White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly. “Thankfully, President Trump stepped in to turn on the water, which prevented even an greater loss of life and property.”

California also has an unfulfilled $40 billion request out to the White House to reimburse it for cleanup costs associated with January’s devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.

Newsom said the state congressional delegation is now working with other Trump-friendly state delegations to secure money for disaster relief, citing North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.

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