'Not giving you any if ... ': Trump at Coachella threatens to withhold wildfire aid from California

Donald Trump has warned California Governor Gavin Newsom that the state could lose vital federal funding for wildfire relief unless action is taken to address ongoing water shortages and a controversial environmental policy. Speaking at a rally in Coachella, the former president criticised the state’s water management, claiming that policies intended to protect the endangered delta smelt fish were hurting farmers and leading to widespread drought conditions.

Trump described California’s water crisis in stark terms, suggesting that vast swathes of land had become "barren" due to the rerouting of water into the Pacific Ocean to protect the fish. "Millions and millions of gallons of water... gets pumped right into the Pacific Ocean," Trump said, lamenting the waste of water while farmers suffered from drought. He argued that, if elected, he would demand that Newsom reverse these policies, or risk losing federal assistance for the state’s frequent wildfires.

Trump’s comments were delivered during a high-profile campaign stop in Coachella, a city in southern California, which he used as a platform to further criticise California’s Democratic leadership. He also made a thinly veiled threat to Newsom, saying, "We’re not going to give you any of that fire money that we send you all the time for all the forest fires that you have" unless changes were made.

The former president's remarks targeted what he described as a "mismanagement" of California’s resources, blaming both state and federal policies for exacerbating the water shortage. Trump suggested that instead of prioritising the fish, the water should be used to support the state’s agricultural industry, which he described as the "finest land in the country." He claimed that millions of acres of farmland had been ruined due to the water rerouting and called for an overhaul of water policy.

With key battlegrounds like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania at stake, Donald Trump spent Saturday night aiming to link Vice President Kamala Harris to her home state's challenges. Though he’s unlikely to win California, Trump used his Coachella visit to criticize the state’s issues, including homelessness, water shortages, and high costs. Referring to California as "Paradise Lost," he warned, "We won’t let Kamala Harris do to America what she did to California."

Despite the rhetoric, Trump’s visit to California is also a fundraising opportunity. Attendees paid up to $25,000 for a photo opportunity with the former president.

In 2020, the former president lost California by a wide margin, but still received over 6 million votes—more than any previous GOP candidate. His support was strongest in rural counties, where he won by margins exceeding 70%, areas that traditionally lean conservative.