‘I Don’t Believe It!’: Emotional Mother Confronts Gavin Newsom
An emotional mother confronted Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom this week as he toured wildfire-ravaged areas near Los Angeles, demanding answers about the lack of resources, including water, to fight the devastating fires.
The fires, which swept through the country’s second-largest city, left entire affluent neighborhoods, including Pacific Palisades, in ruins. Firefighters reported being unable to access water from fire hydrants, exacerbating the destruction.
On Wednesday, the distraught mother approached Newsom as he toured the damaged areas, accompanied by a Sky News team.
“Governor, you got a second? Governor, governor, I live here, governor. That was my daughter’s school, governor. Please tell me what you’re going to do. I’m not going to hurt him, I promise,” she said, running up to him.
Newsom responded, holding up his cell phone, “I’m literally talking to the president right now to specifically answer the question of what we can do for you and your daughter.”
Unconvinced, the mother pressed further, “Can I hear it? Can I hear your call? Because I don’t believe it.”
Newsom replied, “I’m sorry, there’s literally… I’ve tried five times, that’s why I’m walking around to make the call.”
“Why is the president not taking your call?” she asked.
“Because it’s not going through,” the governor explained.
“Why? I have to get self-service. So let’s get it, let’s get it,” she said. “I want to be here when you call the president.”
The mother then questioned the lack of water during the fire. “Why was there no water in the hydrants, governor? Is it going to be different next time?”
“It has to be, it has to be, of course,” Newsom responded, but she demanded more details. “I’m doing everything I can,” he assured her.
“I appreciate it. I’m going to make the call to address everything I can right now, including making sure people are safe,” Newsom added before ending the conversation.
Desperate for accountability, the mother pleaded, “Can I have an opportunity to at least tell people you’re doing what you’re saying you’re doing? Could somebody have a contact? Can I have your contact information?”
WATCH:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also waded into the wildfire debate, engaging in a heated exchange with a legacy media reporter who asked whether President-elect Donald Trump was “politicizing” the fires by blaming Democratic leaders like Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
“Is it appropriate for a president-elect or a president to be criticizing…” the reporter began before DeSantis interjected.
“Is it appropriate for people in your industry to try to create division and to try to create narratives anytime these things happen?” DeSantis retorted. Speaking from Mar-a-Lago, where he and dozens of other GOP governors met with Trump, DeSantis continued, “Now, you’re not as interested in doing that because Newsom is a D. If Newsom was a Republican, you guys would go try to, you would have him nailed to the wall for what they’re doing over there.
“And I know we’ve dealt with it. We just assume in Florida, anytime something happens, it’s going to be politicized by the media. So you guys sitting in judgment of Donald Trump, I mean, excuse me, I think your track record of politicizing these things is very, very bad.”
The reporter pressed, “But Trump said Newsom should resign and that the wildfires are all his fault. So do you agree with those comments?”
DeSantis drew a comparison to past media coverage. “I’ve had — I remember when we had the Surfside Tower collapse. I had people from the Washington Post trying to blame me for it immediately without having any facts or anything. Oh, he didn’t declare a state of emergency. First of all, state of emergency doesn’t mean you can’t respond,” he said. “It’s all that.”