Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other leaders for their lack of wildfire preparedness, calling the response a “colossal failure” as thousands of structures were destroyed and at least two dozen people lost their lives across Los Angeles County.
Christie criticized Newsom for refusing to take responsibility for the crisis During “The Brian Kilmeade Show” They accuse him and local leaders of mismanaging the state's response to historic fires.
“It's a colossal failure, Brian, a huge disappointment for the people of California, and now a tragedy for all those families affected,” Christie told Kilmeade on Monday. “And when you're governor of a state and there's a natural disaster, there's no one more responsible than you. There can be no one the public depends on more than you do.”
“You can't sit there and say, 'Oh my God… I don't know. Let me know.” “You've got to be on top of it from the beginning,” he continued. “These fires started. We knew it was coming. “We knew it was expanding.”
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, January 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jay Si Hong) (AP Photo/Jay Si Hong)
both Eaton and Palisades fires It began on Tuesday of last week and has so far burned nearly 40,000 acres combined. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said the Eaton Fire, centered around Pasadena, killed 16 people. The Palisades Fire has claimed the lives of eight more people, and both fires remain largely out of control as of Monday morning.
Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have faced intense criticism since the fires began last week over their handling of the disaster, with many arguing they were not properly prepared as entire communities were reduced to ashes.
“It's heartbreaking,” Christie said. “The photo albums, the memories you lose, the videos of our children. These are things that cannot be replaced. So what the government needs to do is step up to the plate and be there to give them everything they need,” he added. They need cash to replace the replaceables, Governor Newsom has failed, and Mayor Bass, frankly, doesn't seem to know what's going on either.
Bass, who was outside when the fire broke out, acknowledged Thursday that up to 20 percent of the victims were The city's taps were dryThis prompted firefighters to avoid tapping hydrants as a result.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) was initially pumping aqueducts and groundwater into the system, but demand was so high that there wasn't enough to refill three million-gallon tanks in the mountainous Pacific Palisades that help pressurize taps.
Newsom called for an independent investigation into the incident, calling it “deeply troubling.”
“Continuing reports of loss of water pressure for some Local fire hydrants “During fires and reports of unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir is very concerning to me and the community,” he said. “While water supplies from local fire hydrants are not designed to extinguish wildfires over large areas, the loss of supplies from hydrants is likely “Firefighting has hampered efforts to protect some homes and evacuation routes.”
However, Newsom And clashes with President-elect Donald Trump over allegations of mismanagement of the state's water supply, all while facing calls to resign.
“Taking political criticism of Donald Trump is not the thing to do at this point,” Christie said. “As a responsible governor, no matter how Gavin Newsom feels about Donald Trump, it doesn't matter. The American people elected Donald Trump to be president, and it is your duty as governor to work in good faith with him, not to take political shots at him.”
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“This is a complete lack of accountability and credibility, and frankly, Governor Newsom should be ashamed of himself,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Newsom was pressed about his role in the crisis, its management and whether he supports Bass and its efforts to address the disaster, but he largely avoided answering questions fully.
Christie said his avoidance was an indication of future political ambitions as many expect 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, and that's all he's worried about right now,” Christie said. “What he should be worrying about is doing his damned job.”
Fox News' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
