(KGTV) - President Trump says he has ordered a stoppage of federal emergency aid to California, blaming the state for not managing its forests.
In a tweet Wednesday morning, the president said: “Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen. Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA to send no more money. It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!”
Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen. Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA to send no more money. It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2019
While the president misspelled forest in his first tweet, he later sent a new tweet with the correct spelling.
Trump's statements on California are not the first time he's criticized the state for how it has dealt with wildfires. On Nov. 10, 2018, just days before he toured areas of California damaged by fires, Trump blamed the state’s “poor” forest management for the devastation. He threatened to withhold federal funding if California leaders did not “remedy now.”
The president’s latest remarks come one day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom, on his first official day on the job, proposed a $1 billion forest management plan that will be part of his next budget.
Newsom also pitched an additional $105 million to help California prevent and battle wildfires. Other parts of Newsom’s plan include an update to the state’s 911 system and improved emergency response strategies.
On his first full day in office, @GavinNewsom announces executive orders to strengthen California's emergency preparedness and response: https://t.co/gHNElxr1E5 pic.twitter.com/JPMRXtqzfT
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 9, 2019
Destructive wildfires erupted all over California in 2018, including the massive Camp Fire in Northern California.
The Camp Fire, which erupted on Nov. 8, 2018, and was finally contained 17 days later, killed over 80 people and destroyed nearly 14,000 homes. It is considered the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state’s history.
