Gavin Newsom Pretends To Be On Phone With Biden To Avoid Questions About LA Fires

The leadership in Los Angeles and the state of California has come in for immense criticism for its mishandling of the massive wildfires that destroyed most of Pacific Palisades. And for good reason. 

There are any number of mistakes that they made, from a lack of preparation to clear underbrush in high risk areas, to refusing to implement obvious water management policies, to disastrous evacuations with zero coordination. The mayor was, naturally, on a taxpayer-funded trip to Ghana for some reason, and Governor Gavin Newsom, though in Los Angeles, is incapable of anything other than photo opportunities and fake indignation.

Sane locals have long known that California has been run by incompetent politicians for decades, but it’s a national introduction to the dysfunction and stupidity that runs the state. And Newsom just gave us perhaps the best possible example of just how absurd and disconnected those politicians actually are.

While touring wildfire damage in LA on Thursday, Newsom was confronted by a woman who lost her house, and he straight up pretended to be on the phone with President Joe Biden. 

“I live here Governor, that was my daughter’s school, please tell me what you’re going to do for her,” said LA resident Rachel Darvish live on the Sky News broadcast. 

Newsom responded, “I’m literally talking to the President right now to specifically answer the question of what we can do for you and your daughter.” 

Darvish answered back, “Can I hear? Can I hear your call? Because I don’t believe it.”

And caught in the act, Newsom admitted he’d been lying: “I’m sorry, there’s literally, I’ve tried five times, that’s why I’m walking around to make the call.” She asked why the president was ignoring his call, and he said “Because it’s not going through, there’s no cell service.”

Whoops.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 20: California Gov. Gavin Newsom looks on during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic Party supporters are gathering in Chicago, as current Vice President Kamala Harris is named her party’s presidential nominee. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Gavin Newsom Exemplifies California

Welcome to California, everyone!

Newsom, LA Mayor Karen Bass, and the entirety of local leadership are grossly, catastrophically incompetent. The way they handled these fires, from preparation to execution, could not have gone worse. It’s the polar opposite of how emergencies have been handled in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis has exemplified competence, effectiveness, preparation and rapid response.

But California’s mindset is to hope for the best, bow to extremist environmentalists at every turn, then blame climate change for everything that goes wrong.

Entire communities were destroyed. Pacific Palisades, one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in California, is effectively gone. Firefighters quite literally ran out of water trying to fight it. Cars were abandoned in the roads because there was no one there to direct traffic during evacuations.

When asked about her decisions, including cutting the department’s budget, the mayor had nothing to say. Newsom has nothing to say. It’s a joke, and the public deserves better. Maybe next time they’ll vote for it.