Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sharply criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other leaders for their lack of preparedness for the wildfires, calling the response a “massive failure” as thousands of structures were destroyed and At least 24 people lost their lives throughout Los Angeles County.
Christie criticized Newsom for refusing to take responsibility for the crisis during “The Brian Kilmeade Show”, accusing him and local leaders of mismanaging the state’s response to the historic fires.
“It’s a huge failure, Brian, and a huge disappointment for the people of California and now a tragedy for all the families that have been affected,” Christie told Kilmeade on Monday. “And when you’re governor of a state and a natural disaster occurs, there’s no one more responsible than you. There can be no one the public trusts more than you.”
“You can’t sit there and say, ‘God… I don’t know. Let me find out.’ You have to be aware from the beginning,” he continued. “These fires started. We knew they were coming. We knew they were spreading.”
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Both the Eaton and Palisades Fires They started Tuesday of last week and have so far burned nearly 40,000 acres combined. The Eaton Fire, which is centered around Pasadena, has caused 16 deaths, the Los Angeles County medical examiner says. The Palisades Fire has claimed eight more lives and both fires remain largely uncontained as of Monday morning.
Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have faced fierce criticism since the fires began last week over their handling of the catastrophe, with many arguing that they were not adequately prepared when entire communities turned to ashes.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Christie said. “The photo albums, the memories that are lost, the videos of our children. Those are things that cannot be replaced. So what (the) government needs to do is step up and be there to give them the opportunity.” “. money they need to replace things that are replaceable, and Governor Newsom has failed, and Mayor Bass, frankly, it seems like she doesn’t know what’s going on either.”
Bass, who was abroad when the fire started, admitted Thursday that up to 20% of The city’s hydrants were dry.which led firefighters to avoid intervening in the hydrants.
Initially, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) was pumping aqueducts and groundwater into the system, but demand was so high that there was not enough to refill three 1 million gallon tanks in the mountainous Pacific Palisades that help Pressurize hydrants.
Newsom demanded an independent investigation into the incident, calling it “deeply troubling.”
“Continued reports of loss of water pressure in some local hydrants during the fires and the unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir are deeply concerning to me and the community,” he said. “While water supplies from local fire hydrants are not designed to extinguish wildfires “In large areas, the loss of supplies from fire hydrants likely hampered the effort to protect some homes and evacuation corridors.”
However, Newsom confronted President-elect Donald Trump over accusations that he mismanaged the state’s water supply, all while facing calls to resign.
“Taking political shots at Donald Trump is not the right thing to do right now,” Christie said. “As a responsible governor, no matter what Gavin Newsom feels about Donald Trump, it doesn’t matter. The American people have elected Donald Trump to be president, and it is your obligation as governor to work in good faith with him, not take political shots at him. “.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“So that is a complete lack of accountability and credibility and, frankly, Governor Newsom should be ashamed of himself,” he continued.
Newsom, meanwhile, was pressed about his role in the crisis, his management and whether he supports Bass and his efforts to address the catastrophe, but he largely avoided answering all questions.
Christie argued that his evasion was indicative of future political ambitions, as many speculate he will eventually launch a presidential bid.
“This is a guy who all he wants to do is run for president of the United States, that’s all he cares about right now,” Christie said. “What you should be worried about is doing your damn job.”
Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
