California governor labels Musk untruthful
Date
1/18/2025 6:57:21 AM
(MENAFN) California Governor Gavin Newsom has sharply criticized Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, calling him a liar after Musk blamed the state’s handling of the wildfires in Los Angeles on “bad governance” and a shortage of water. In a series of posts on X, Musk, a long-time critic of Newsom, suggested that the scale of the devastation was due to inadequate water supplies and retweeted a call for Newsom’s resignation.
This criticism followed remarks by LA Mayor Karen Bass, who revealed that around 20% of the city’s fire hydrants ran dry last week. In response, Newsom called for an independent investigation into the issue. On Monday, Newsom posted a video showing Musk asking a firefighter if water availability was a problem. The firefighter explained that while there was water in several reservoirs, the amount being distributed exceeded what the system could handle, which is why water trucks were used as “mobile hydrants.”
Newsom accused Musk of spreading false information, claiming that Musk had been "exposed by firefighters for his own lies." Experts, including former Los Angeles water chief Marty Adams, have stated that the scale of the fires presented challenges that the city's water systems were not designed to address, calling for new approaches to water system design in the face of growing wildfire risks.
The two have also clashed over looting, with Musk suggesting that California Democrats had “decriminalized looting,” which Newsom denied, emphasizing that looting remains illegal and criminals will be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump has criticized Newsom for not signing a “water restoration declaration,” which Newsom claimed does not exist. Musk, a close ally of Trump, has been appointed to co-chair the new Department of Government Efficiency advisory board under the president-elect.
The LA wildfires have already claimed at least 24 lives and displaced thousands, with strong winds expected to make firefighting efforts more challenging.
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