On Saturday, President Donald Trump sparked controversy with his stark criticism of the California wildfires. While most people are aware of how difficult it can be to pinpoint and contain a natural disaster, unfortunately, Trump is blaming California authorities for the problem. In his infamous tweet, he ranted about the ongoing disaster and even threatened to withhold federal funding for the state.
As expected, the angry tweet sparked outrage and many people have reacted to the statement. Now, California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff is speaking out about the situation and he’s dismissing all of Trump’s claims.
According to NBC News , on Sunday, November 11, Rep. Adam Schiff appeared on the network’s Meet the Press where he discussed Trump’s accusation of “gross mismanagement of the forests” and his threatening ultimatum demanding that the state “remedy now, or” receive “no more Fed payments.” When most people think of fires, they likely envision the type of fire that can easily be put out by firefighters; Schiff explained just how different this situation is. Schiff also pointed out how Trump’s statement, alone, proves how little he understands the complexity of the matter. In his response to Trump’s statement, Rep. Adam Schiff criticized Trump for his alleged lack of compassion for those in distress.
“For the president, at a time where people are facing utter disaster, to be making a statement like this, making a threat like this, just goes to show how little he understands the job he has, that he would be punitive at a time like this rather than coming to the defense of people facing the worst disaster of their lives,” Schiff said.
The Democratic congressman also offered a different perspective of the situation, insisting he believes Trump’s statements are politically charged. “This is a president who, more than any other, is punitive,” he said. “He is only the president, I think in his view, of those who voted for him.”
Rep. Adam Schiff’s discussion comes just a day after Trump’s Twitter rant about the California wildfires. On Saturday morning, when Trump was scheduled to visit a cemetery in France to speak on behalf of fallen American soldiers, he was actually on Twitter ranting about California authorities.
If you haven’t seen that tweet, Trump wrote, “There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!” Trump tweeted on Saturday.
There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2018
For many frustrated Americans, the timing of the tweet was seemingly problematic, considering Trump’s obligation for that day. To make matters worse, the White House later opted to cancel the visit due to rain. Today, Trump has remained mum about the California wildfires.
