Donald Trump is holding California responsible for its lightning-sparked wildfires and even threatened to withhold federal money. The president seemed to be reprising his attacks from previous rounds of verbal assault.
Noting that the forest fires have started again in California in his speech at a rally in swing state Pennsylvania, Trump said the state needs to clean its floors and clean the forests. He went on to point out that the forest is teeming with several years of leaves and broken trees that are extremely flammable.
Trump accused the state of not paying heed to the administration's warnings about getting rid of those trees and leaves, the president said he might consider making them pay for it since they do not listen to the administration. Californians have been accused of the wildfires and are used to receiving questionable solutions all the time.
The wildfires have received a predictable response from Trump, who took this opportunity to blame the Democrat-dominated state and then threaten to hold back the money. This year's response coincides with his responses in 2018 and 2019.
Trump went on to say on Thursday that he has been telling the state to clean up the forests for three years but it refuses to listen. His remarks have garnered strong criticism from opponents who accuse him of politicizing natural disasters that destroy the homes of Californians and claim lives.
A hot and thunderous weather system floating over the parched state in previous days led to numerous lighting-triggered fires. Hundreds of thousands of acres have already been burned leading to forced evacuations. A helicopter pilot died in Fresno County while fighting ablaze.
Trump's advice has confused experts who claim his prescriptions shows he does not understand how wildfires work. Trump suggests more raking and releasing less water into the ocean, this recurring problem can be solved. It is worth noting that a large number of California’s wildlands are federally managed.
During his Pennsylvania rally on Thursday, Trump noted that there are some "forest cities" that do not have similar problems that California has, reminding his supporters that the state mocked him for his previous suggestion to clean the forest.
Trump visited the remnants of Paradise, a town in California that witnessed the most devastating fire in the entire state, and invoked his comments from 2018 when he pointed to Finland, claiming its leader said the European forest nation had spent a lot of money and time on raking. He insisted that they do not have the problem anymore.
Finnish President later said that although he told Trump that Finland takes care of its forests, he did not say anything about raking, CNN reported. Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California unveiled a new shared stewardship pact that entrusts the U.S. Forest Service to manage forests and minimize fire risk in collaboration with the state.