Donald Trump Says He's Sent Military Into California

US News Reporter

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Donald Trump claimed on social media that the U.S. military "just entered the Great State of California" in an attempt to improve the water supply.

The new president, a long-time critic of state Governor Gavin Newsom, said the military used emergency powers and "TURNED ON THE WATER" from the Pacific Northwest following a wave of devastating wildfires around Los Angeles. This was denied by state authorities.

Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via email outside of normal working hours. Newsom's office referred Newsweek to a statement from the California Department of Water Resources denying Trump's claims.

Why It Matters

Trump has been fiercely critical of Newsom's efforts to contain the Los Angeles wildfires over the past couple of weeks, dubbing him "Newscum" on social media.

The president has repeatedly attributed the disaster to what he says are water shortages caused by California state policies, though this was denied by state officials, who claimed a water-pumping station that was down for maintenance was reopened.

What to Know

The president made his announcement late on Monday via his Truth Social website. He said: "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. On X, formerly Twitter, 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."

CAL FIRE reported that as of 3:11 a.m. ET on Tuesday three wildfires were continuing to burn around Los Angeles. These were the Palisades Fire, which is 95 percent contained, the Hughes Fire at 98 percent contained and the 99 percent contained Eaton Fire.

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.

Donald Trump speaking during a fire emergency briefing at Station 69 in Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 24, 2025. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/GETTY

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's state efforts to protect the delta smelt, which he dubbed "a little tiny fish," by restraining water flows in certain rivers.

Over the past few weeks, parts of Los Angeles have been struck by a devastating series of wildfires which killed at least 27 people, and forced thousands to leave their homes.

What People Are Saying

On X, California State Senator Mike McGuire, a Democrat, shared a screenshot of Trump's Truth Social post adding: "BS [b*******] Alert.

"First off, shocker, water from the Pacific Northwest doesn't flow to the Central Valley. Second, federal water pumps were down for repair and are now back on. Third, rest assured, the military has not invaded the delta. Facts are hard."

Referring to Trump during a recent radio appearance, MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow said: "He thinks I think that North is also up, and that up there's a water tower, like it's a New York building, and if you just turn the valve then down gets the water."

Speaking to The Washington Post about the relationship between Trump and Newsom, California-based Republican strategist Mike Murphy said: "The problem is that Gavin has been in a world where the incentives are Democratic primary politics, and Trump is in a world where he cares about Republican primary politics, so they're both incentivized to fight all the time. And now we've got a big grown-up problem where fighting is not the answer."

More than 165,000 people have signed a petition calling for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to resign over her handling of the wildfires, claiming that "basic resources, such as water and emergency services, have been inadequate, and leadership has been nowhere to be found when it was needed most."

On Monday, via X, Bass posted: "As of today, ALL Pacific Palisades residents are able to access their properties. Reentry is open to residents only with proof of residency, or to contractors with proof of work with a resident."