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By Alia Shoaib
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California Governor Gavin Newsom has been in the firing line of Tesla CEO and ardent Trump supporter Elon Musk, who has been criticizing his response to the damaging wildfires that raged across Los Angeles.
Why It Matters
The escalating feud between the California governor and the billionaire comes as Donald Trump is about to take office for his second term.
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Musk, who has long been a critic of Newsom, has emerged as one of Trump's most powerful backers and has been chosen to co-lead the president-elect's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) advisory board.
These dynamics set the stage for strained relations and heightened scrutiny of Newsom during Trump's presidency.
What To Know
The wildfires that ravaged Southern California last week were the worst in the state's history, leaving at least 24 people dead and many neighborhoods burned to the ground.
Newsom has been facing criticism from right-wing figures like Musk and Trump and angry residents, who have accused the state of mismanaging resources and being slow to contain the fires.
Musk shared a post on X from the right-wing account Libs of TikTok which blamed Newsom for not building water storage and reservoirs, adding his own comment: "Crazy."
California officials have faced scrutiny over reports of fire hydrants being empty amid the fire-fighting efforts. Newsom said he had called for an independent investigation into why this happened.
Musk has also downplayed the effects of climate change, which many experts say has exacerbated wildfire risks in the state, arguing that the "nonsensical overregulation" and "bad governance at the state and local level that resulted in a shortage of water" are to blame.
Musk also shared a post on X which claimed that "Newsom and California Democrats literally decriminalized looting" amid the governor's calls for people not to loot in the aftermath of the wildfires.
Newsom responded by accusing Musk of lying and "encouraging looting," adding "It's illegal -- as it always has been."
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On Monday, Newsom hit back at Musk by sharing a clip from a livestream in which the billionaire met with the fire command team for the Palisades fire.
In the clip, Musk asks the firefighter about water availability, saying that he heard there was a shortage in the Palisades but not in Malibu.
The firefighter responded explaining that the issue was not about supply, it was because they had been flowing an amount of water that the system couldn't handle.
Newsom wrote: "@ElonMusk exposed by firefighters for his own lies."
Trump has also been blasting Newsom, calling him "incompetent" and claiming that the governor had blocked allowing water to flow to Southern California out of concern about the impact on a threatened fish.
Newsom's office said that this was "pure fiction."
Newsweek reached out to the governor via email on Monday.
What People Are Saying
The right-wing account Libs of TikTok wrote on X to Newsom: "Your state is burning down and you're picking a fight with Elon on X so you can politicize the fire? Wtf is wrong with you? You need to resign!"
Right-wing conspiracy theorist and media personality Alex Jones wrote on X: "Governor Gavin NewScum is lying when he says the LA Fire Department has contradicted @elonmusk about the cause of the historic firestorm. If you want to know what really happened and how to stop it taking place again start by investigating the CEQA Act."
Newsom said last week: "My message to the incoming administration, and I'm not here to play any politics, is please don't play any politics."
What Happens Next
Newsom and Musk are likely to continue their war of words, and their ongoing feud could intensify scrutiny on Newsom's leadership as well as Musk's role as a high-profile ally of the Trump administration.
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