A devastated mother from Los Angeles confronted California Governor Gavin Newsom amidst the smoldering remains of her neighborhood, demanding to know what actions he was taking in response to the raging wildfires that were consuming the city. The governor, facing mounting pressure, explained that he had been attempting to reach President Biden for federal aid, but claimed he was unable to get a signal.

“Governor! Governor! I live here, governor! That was my daughter’s school!” Rachel Dervish, a resident of Pacific Palisades, shouted as she pursued Newsom through the destruction on Thursday.

“What are you going to do for her?” she demanded, cornering him beside his vehicle in an encounter captured by Sky News.

Newsom, holding his phone in his hand, assured her that he was “literally” making the call to the president in an effort to coordinate assistance at that moment.

However, when Dervish asked to hear the conversation, Newsom replied that he could not get a signal.

“Can I hear it, can I hear your call? ’cause I don’t believe it!” Dervish challenged.

“I’ve tried five times, that’s why I’m walking around to make the call,” Newsom explained. “I’m so sorry, especially for your daughter.”

Dervish continued to press him, asking what he, a man often accused of blocking Southern California’s water supply, was doing to support the community and why the situation had escalated to such a crisis.

“Why was there no water in the hydrants, governor? Is it going to be different next time?” she inquired.

“It has to be, it has to be, of course,” Newsom replied in a quiet voice.

“What are you going to do?” she persisted.

“I’m doing everything I can,” Newsom responded. “I will do whatever I can.”

“But you’re not!” Dervish retorted sharply.

As the encounter ended, Newsom got back into his car, stating that he would be calling the president. Meanwhile, Dervish continued to demand that he at least provide some assurance that he was taking the necessary steps to address the situation.

Governor Newsom, along with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, has faced accusations of poor management in the face of the catastrophic fires, which continue to ravage nearly 30,000 acres of the city. One of the most common grievances has centered around fire hydrants running dry, leaving firefighters without the water they desperately needed to control the infernos — an issue that Newsom attributed to local authorities during a CNN interview on Wednesday.

“Look, the local folks are trying to figure that out,” he told CNN’s Anderson Cooper, explaining that the hydrants were not designed to handle such large-scale fires.

“I mean those hydrants are typical for two or three fires — maybe one fire and you have something of this scale, but again that’s gonna be determined by the local,” he added.

Newsom was directly criticized by former President Trump, who took to Truth Social late Wednesday evening, saying, “This is all his fault!!!”

“One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum [sic] should resign,” Trump wrote.

Earlier, Trump accused Newsom of blocking a law he had passed during his first term, which would have diverted water runoff from Northern California. The president-elect argued that Newsom prioritized saving “worthless fish” over the needs of his people.

“Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is to blame for this,” Trump stated.

In response to the criticisms, Newsom dismissed Trump’s comments, accusing the incoming president of trying to politicize the tragedy.

“People are literally fleeing, people have lost their lives. Kids lost their schools. Families are completely torn asunder. Churches burned down. This guy wanted to politicize? I have a lot of thoughts and I know what I want to say — I won’t,” Newsom told CNN.

{Matzav.com}