President Donald Trump has said that the U.S. Military “just entered the Great State of California.”
Trump said it used emergency powers and “TURNED ON THE WATER” from the Pacific Northwest following a wave of devastating wildfires around Los Angeles.
The president made the announcement late on Monday via his Truth Social website, adding: “The days of putting a Fake Environmental argument, over the PEOPLE, are OVER. Enjoy the water, California!!!”
However Trump’s claim was denied outright by state authorities. Speaking to the LA Times the California Department of Water Resources said: “The military did not enter California.
“The federal government restarted federal water pumps after they were offline for maintenance for three days. State water supplies in Southern California remain plentiful.”
Newsweek has contacted the White House and Gavin Newsom’s office for comment via email outside of normal working hours.
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According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as of 2:11 a.m. ET on Tuesday three wildfires were continuing to burn on the outskirts of Los Angeles, though all are between 95 percent and 99 percent contained.
On Friday Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to “maximize” water delivery to California and “override” state policies where they deem it necessary.
The executive order claimed that during the recent Los Angeles wildfires “firefighters were unable to fight the blaze due to dry hydrants, empty reservoirs, and inadequate water infrastructure.”
However in a statement released on Monday, the Association of California Water Agencies said: “Water supply has not hindered firefighting efforts.
“Reservoirs in California are at or above average storage levels for this time of year, thanks in part to years of proactive water management.”
Trump’s executive order also instructed federal agencies to abandon new rules introduced in December by the Biden administration for operating the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project, the two main water delivery systems to California’s Central Valley.
Instead Trump instructed them to revert to policies similar to those he implemented during his first White House term, which faced legal challenges from the state of California and environmental groups over claims they failed to protect endangered fish.
On social media Trump has previously questioned California state efforts to protect the delta smelt, which he dubbed “a little tiny fish,” by restraining water flows in certain rivers.
This is a breaking new story and will be updated.