The Los Angeles Wildfires Prove That Democrats Should Listen to Trump

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The ongoing wildfire crisis in Los Angeles serves as a stark reminder of both the challenges that California continues to face when it comes to managing natural disasters and the fact that these disasters are completely preventable.

As the flames rage and spread without containment, the situation has become dire, as Los Angeles firefighters ran out of water early Wednesday morning while battling the blaze.

It’s a striking example of the dysfunction that has plagued California’s wildfire and water management policies for years. In fact, President-elect Donald Trump had long called for changes to the way California handles its wildfires, particularly regarding the management of flammable brush and water supply. His suggestions, which the press and Democrats often dismissed as overly simplistic, may have been exactly what the state needed.

“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday.

This is not the first time Trump has criticized California’s poor wildfire and forest management. Back in 2020, he blamed California’s inept leadership for its wildfire struggles, pointing to the lack of proper forest management and the state’s inability to store and manage water resources.

“I see again the forest fires are starting,” Trump said. “They’re starting again in California. I said, you gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests — there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and they’re like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up.”

“Maybe we’re just going to have to make them pay for it because they don’t listen to us,” he added.

Here’s how Politico covered Trump’s remarks:

Those broadsides have drawn fierce criticism from opponents who accuse Trump of politicizing natural disasters that claim lives and incinerate homes. An uncharacteristically hot and thunderous weather system hovering over California in previous days caused hundreds of lightning-sparked fires across the parched state. Already, hundreds of thousands of acres have burned and forced evacuations, while a helicopter pilot died fighting a blaze in Fresno County.

Trump’s suggestions have prompted head-scratching from experts who say his prescriptions — more raking, less water released into the ocean for environmental purposes — suggest he does not understand the science of wildfires. Critics also point out that most of California’s wildlands are federally managed.

Critics mocked Trump’s calls for cleaning up California’s forests — removing dry leaves, fallen trees, and other flammable materials — claiming that he didn’t understand wildfire science.

Perhaps they should have listened. Is it not obvious at this point that California’s approach has been ineffective? While the state has invested money in forest management, it has faced setbacks due to federal policies. The Biden administration has been of no help either.

In October, the U.S. Forest Service issued a directive to its employees in California to halt planned controlled burns “for the foreseeable future.” Officials explained that the decision was made to prioritize the preservation of staff and equipment for potential wildfire response, should the need arise.

I guess they’d rather save their resources for responding to wildfires rather than preventing them.

Meanwhile, the state’s water management system continues to falter. Despite years of droughts and increasingly severe wildfires, California has not built a new reservoir for 45 years. Instead, valuable water continues to flow into the ocean due to insufficient reservoir capacity.

State officials and environmental groups blocked Trump’s efforts to divert more water into California’s reservoirs during his first term, even though the need for more water is clear, especially during wildfire seasons. The failure to take proactive measures in forest management and water storage has led to a predictable crisis that now threatens the safety of millions.

At this juncture, it’s clear that Trump’s common-sense suggestions about forest management and water retention were not just viable — they were necessary. As California continues to struggle with the consequences of its decisions, it’s time for the Democrats running the state to consider that maybe they should have listened to Trump rather than their cadre of climate change activists who have been steering them wrong for so many years.

While Los Angeles burns, the political elites seem more focused on holding to their preferred narrative than the lives and homes of their constituents. Democrats would do well to listen to the voices of reason — before the next disaster strikes.