WASHINGTON -U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday ordered the federal government to override the state of California’s water-management practices to bolster firefighting efforts.
The executive order comes two days after Trump visited the Los Angeles region, which has been devastated by a series of wildfires.
Trump has falsely claimed that Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and other officials refused to provide water from the northern part of the state to fight the fires.
His order directs the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to deliver more water and hydropower through the Central Valley Project, a network of dams, canals and other infrastructure, even if that conflicts with state or local laws.
A Newsom spokesperson said that would not have made a difference in its firefighting efforts as the Los Angeles region gets most of its water from other sources and does not have a shortage.
Some hydrants in the Los Angeles area ran dry during the height of the wildfires, but local officials say that is because they were not designed to deal with such a massive disaster.
“Trump is either unaware of how water is stored in California or is deliberately misleading the public,” Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos said. “There is no imaginary spigot to magically make water appear at a wildfire, despite what Trump claims.”
Trump’s order also directs the White House budget office to see whether it can attach conditions on federal aid to the state to ensure cooperation.
(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; editing by Diane Craft and Christian Schmollinger)
