At Wednesday’s Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump left audiences scratching their heads after claiming that during last January’s Los Angeles-area wildfires, some houses had sprinklers in the living room — with no water in them.
The bizarre assertion came amid a rambling tirade in which he also accused the U.S. military of “turning on the water” and suggested California fire hydrants were mysteriously empty.
“If they would’ve let the water flow from the Pacific Northwest — which everybody’s been telling them — including me,” the president incoherently rambled.
“Now I just opened it up. We literally sent in the military to open it up. But you wouldn’t have had the fires because you would’ve had a little thing called, the old fashioned way, water in the fire hydrants as opposed to empty fire hydrants. Most of the houses had the sprinklers on top. There was no water in the sprinkler in their living room.”
Critics quickly seized on Trump’s bizarre, jumbled claims, reacting with disbelief and mockery. One Threads user wrote, “He’s completely lost it.”
Another added, “HE IS INSANELY MORONIC! Stupid has reached an all-new high.” Someone else, noting Trump’s redundant ranting, said: “Oh goody…the imbecile leader is back in his rant about ‘no water’ in LA!”
Others noted the repeated nature of his misstatements, suggesting his inner circle appears unwilling or unable to correct him. One user summed up the frustration bluntly: “I have never seen anyone repeat lies as constantly as this a—hole. SO tired of his bulls—t!”
Trump claimed federal intervention was needed amid the wildfire, but reports at the time indicate the military never entered California, and federal water pumps had only been restarted after routine maintenance.
State reservoirs remained at or above average levels last January during the fires, according to the Association of California Water Agencies, and experts have debunked his repeated assertions that a single “valve” could control the state’s water supply. Hydrants did in fact go dry during the fires, but state officials explained then that the hydrant system is not designed to fight widespread fires encompassing thousands of homes at once.
In a video shared online by one X user, Gov. Gavin Newsom has pushed back publicly, saying his administration continues to wait for a formal response from Trump to a nearly $34 billion federal disaster aid request submitted a year ago. Newsom added that leaders from both parties on Capitol Hill have expressed support, but federal action requires a direct request from the president.
Trump also demanded that California open more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a move opposed by scientists because of protections for endangered fish. He issued an executive order directing federal agencies to override California water policies, further escalating tensions with the state.
This latest episode not only underscores the ongoing clash between Trump, Newsom, and California officials, but MAGA’s continued challenge of separating political theatrics from reality.
