Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Year : 2, Issue: 20
by Rex Huppke
Apparently Donald Trump knows how to put out the fires still raging in and around Los Angeles. But he won’t tell us, because he’s too busy calling California’s leaders “incompetent” and being almost uniquely useless.
In a Sunday social media post, the wildly unhelpful president-elect wrote:
“The fires are still raging in L.A. The incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out. Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?”
Yes, what is wrong with them? And why do they not know exactly how to contain and extinguish the unprecedented and deadly fires that Trump himself apparently knows exactly how to handle?
Setting aside Trump’s crude politicization of what he calls “one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country,” and overlooking the fact he mentioned the loss of “magnificent houses” before getting to the loss of actual human beings, Trump’s post shows zero empathy and less-than-zero leadership.
The man about to lead the nation could be calling for unity, visiting California in a show of support or – and here’s a funny thought – using some of his alleged billions to help out. Heck, Trump’s new best buddy Elon Musk has enough bank to rebuild the whole city and still have enough left over to buy and ruin like 100 more social media companies.
Alas, Trump has that whole “name that will live in infamy” image to uphold. So he’s hiding out at his Florida golf-resort-home and occasionally blurting out mean garbage, because if he doesn’t routinely spout something obnoxious his brain might start working.
Is it possible Trump knows how to put out the LA wildfires?
In fairness, one person’s “mean garbage” is a MAGA person’s “strong and brilliant statement,” so let’s treat the latter part of Trump’s post seriously: “They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?”
OK, sir. What do you suggest they do? Saying something is wrong with them for not being able to put out the fires suggests you know something they don’t. Or perhaps the answer to the wildfires is obvious and those “incompetent pols” aren’t seeing it.
So enlighten us, soon-to-be President Trump, before any more “magnificent houses are gone.” (More than 20 people have died in the fires thus far, not that you’d be concerned about non-buildings, sir.)
If Trump can end Ukraine war in ‘one day,’ surely he can put out a fire
We know from your many statements that you are going to be able to stop the war in Ukraine “in one day, 24 hours.”
You’ve made it clear you know exactly how to get grocery prices and the price of “everything” to go down: “Prices will come down. You just watch. They’ll come down, and they’ll come down fast, not only with insurance, with everything.”
And we just know you’ll be able to stop illegal immigration immediately.
You said at your Madison Square Garden rally during the presidential campaign: “On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out. I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered, and we will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail, then kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible.”
Why is President-elect Trump not dousing the California fires himself?
It’s clear you know A LOT about exactly how to accomplish wildly complicated things, so why are you not flying your private jet to California to quickly and strongly put out the deadly wildfires?
Why are you sitting in your palace of lackeys posting mean things online? Don’t you care about all the buildings being destroyed?
Please, President-elect Trump, please use your great wisdom and intelligence and bravery, along with some of your billions of dollars, to save Americans from the wildfires.
What are you waiting for?
Author is acolumnist if USA TODAY
