The Late Night host Seth Meyers hit back at Donald Trump’s criticism of California Governor Gavin Newsom during the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, accusing Trump of spreading false claims.
In his monologue on Thursday, Meyers addressed Trump’s claim from the previous day, in which the former president alleged that Newsom had refused to sign a so-called “water restoration declaration.” Trump falsely suggested this document would have allowed millions of gallons of water from excess rain and snow melt to be used to fight the fires.
“Did you hear that? Newsom refused to sign the Water Restoration Declaration, a very real document that definitely exists, right?” Meyers joked sarcastically. The Late Night host then played an MSNBC clip exposing how the “Water Restoration Declaration” is completely made up.
Meyers continued, “Of course it doesn’t exist. You can tell just from the phrase ‘Water Restoration Declaration,’ which sounds super f—ing made up.”
He further debunked Trump’s claim that a lack of water access was the reason the wildfires are still burning. “Of course Trump is lying,” Meyers said. Quoting from a CNN fact check and a Washington Post article, he explained, “There’s no relationship between federal and state water management and the intensity of these fires or the ability to fight them. Some hydrants are running dry not because of a water shortage, but because high demand lowers water pressure, making it harder to move the water around.”
Later, Meyers shifted focus to the community response to the fires, calling it “breathtaking and awe-inspiring.” He highlighted the importance of leaders showing compassion and solidarity during times of crisis, saying, “The kindness and compassion and resourcefulness and solidarity on display have been nothing short of breathtaking. It’s clear that people desperately want to help one another, which is why we deserve leaders and institutions who will do the same.”
Meyers also stressed the urgent need to address climate change, stating, “Climate change is real. It is an imminent and existential threat to the lives and safety of Americans, and we must treat it like the crisis it is.”
Furthermore, he criticised politicians for spreading lies about emergency responses. “Unfortunately, there are politicians who would rather spread lies about the emergency response. And I’m not going to name names, but Donald Trump. His name is Donald Trump. Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”