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Trump doubles down on threat to withhold California wildfire aid

President Trump doubled down on his threats to withhold aid from California, where wildfires are raging, without a change in the management of water from leaders in the Golden State.

Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an interview on Wednesday that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) could release water, after he has repeatedly gone after the governor over water shortages. He repeated his claims that California could better combat its fires in Los Angeles if it directed water from the northern part of the state to the southern part of the state.

“I don’t think we should give California anything until they let water flow down into their system,” Trump told Hannity.

Newsom has pushed back on those claims, saying Trump’s references to a “water restoration declaration” are “pure fiction.”

Former President Biden said utility companies shut off power to avoid igniting additional fires, which, in turn, cut the ability to pump water to hydrants.

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order directing departments to “route more water” from northern California to southern California.

The president is set to travel to the Los Angeles area on Friday. He will also travel to North Carolina and Nevada to bookend the California trip. Trump has criticized the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene in the Tar Heel State.

Hannity asked Trump if he will meet with Newsom in California, and the president replied that he hadn’t thought about it.

“Look Gavin’s got one thing he can do, he can release the water that comes from the north. There is massive amounts of water, rainwater and mountain water that comes due with the snow, comes down when—it as it melts. There’s so much water,” Trump said. “They’re releasing it into the Pacific Ocean. And I told him for— it’s a political thing for the Democrats. I don’t know.”

Congress will likely have to consider disaster aid for California in the wake of wildfires ahead of the fast-approaching March 14 government funding deadline.

Trump on Tuesday argued the wildfire relief will make conversations over disaster aid “simpler.”

“It’s been in some ways made simpler by Los Angeles because they’re going to need a lot of money. Generally speaking, I think you’ll find a lot of Democrats are going to be asking for help so I think maybe that makes it more one-sided,” he said. “We’re going to take care of Los Angeles.”

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