State officials say that no, the military did not enter California to turn on the water, despite a claim that President Donald Trump posted on social media late Monday.
As Los Angeles grapples with the apocalyptic devastation from the wildfires, Trump has blamed California Governor Gavin Newsom, claiming that he refused to release water in the north of the state.
But per a CalMatters fact check, that’s a misreading of where Los Angeles gets its water. Newsom’s office also has called it “pure fiction” that the governor issued a declaration that tied up water supply.
Nevertheless, Trump posted on Truth Social, “The United States Military just entered the Great State of California and, under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. The days of putting a Fake Environmental argument, over the PEOPLE, are OVER. Enjoy the water, California!!!”
After the post, California’s Department of Water Resources posted on X, “The military did not enter California. The federal government restarted federal water pumps after they were offline for maintenance for three days. State water supplies in Southern California remain plentiful.”
That said, Newsom has ordered an investigation into why firefighters battling the Palisades blaze were unable to get water from fire hydrants. The Los Angeles Times also has been publishing a number of stories on why a reservoir serving the Palisades area was dry at the time of the fires.
