Months before California’s current wildfire disaster, President-elect Donald Trump warned about the exact crisis now engulfing the state. In an October interview with Joe Rogan, Trump criticized Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for neglecting proper water and forest management, which he said would inevitably lead to massive wildfires. That warning is now proving to be alarmingly accurate.
Trump described California’s severe water mismanagement, explaining how water from the north was being diverted into the Pacific Ocean to protect the delta smelt, a small fish species. Trump argued that this water could have been used to irrigate farmland and moisten forests, reducing the risk of destructive fires. “Your forests are dry as a bone,” Trump told Rogan, emphasizing how this neglect made California’s landscape a tinderbox.
Here is Trump on Rogan 2 months ago explaining how California wastes millions of gallons of water diverting it to the Pacific and that their poor forest management will lead to dangerous fires pic.twitter.com/4gZKyoLCun
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 9, 2025
In 2020, Trump’s administration proposed water regulations that would have redirected over 600,000 acre-feet of water annually to southern California. Newsom sued to block the move, prioritizing environmental regulations over resource management. Trump blamed this decision for leaving forests dangerously dry and vulnerable to wildfires.
Hollywood wildfires unfold exactly as Joe Rogan predicted 6 MONTHS AGO after speaking with a local firefighter.
And what did ALLLLLL you normies do when Trump was talking about cleaning out the forests with all the dead leaves and fallen trees?
You laughed at him. Now what? pic.twitter.com/ZLoHs136dt
— I am @sheeplovelies (@Imsheeplovelies) January 9, 2025
As fires now rage across California, Trump took to Truth Social to call out Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for their “gross negligence” in managing the state’s fire risks. He also criticized FEMA, claiming it lacks resources due to reckless spending on environmental policies rather than disaster preparedness.
Gavin Newsom’s failed water and forest management policies helped turn what could be manageable fires into devastating infernos.
And Trump called it months ago on his interview with Joe Rogan. pic.twitter.com/i6UfdUeEb1
— Scott Adams (@scottadamsshow) January 8, 2025
California’s leadership is now scrambling to contain widespread fires, with little progress in stopping the destruction. Firefighters are battling against dry, overgrown forests that could have been better maintained had Trump’s advice been followed.
With lives lost and homes destroyed, many are now reflecting on Trump’s early warnings. His calls for better forest management and smarter water use were dismissed by California officials, and the consequences are now devastating.
