California Gov. Newsom Criticizes Trump Over Repeated Wildfire Water Claims

California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticized President Donald Trump for repeating false claims about water supply issues during the Southern California wildfires, specifically disputing Trump's assertion that water from the Pacific Northwest was withheld and that sprinklers could have prevented the fires. Newsom's office called Trump a "bumbling idiot" and emphasized that state reservoirs were at historic highs, clarifying that local infrastructure constraints, not water scarcity, limited firefighting efforts. Trump also questioned Newsom's behavior and cognitive state, prompting Newsom to respond on social media by posting an AI chatbot's explanation of dementia, suggesting Trump’s repeated falsehoods resembled symptoms of memory loss and impaired reasoning. Fact-checkers and water policy experts have debunked Trump's claims, confirming that Newsom never refused to sign any water restoration declarations and that water scarcity was not a general issue during the fires. The feud has escalated publicly, with Trump accusing Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of incompetence and failing to manage emergency resources effectively. Newsom continues to use both factual rebuttals and pointed social media tactics to counter the president’s allegations amid ongoing tensions over wildfire management in California.