DeSantis criticizes press reporting on California wildfires
Ron DeSantis has claimed that the US media is failing to hold Democratic officials responsible for their handling of the response to the California wildfires. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has criticized the US media for what he views as biased coverage of natural disasters, particularly in California, which is currently facing severe wildfires. Officials reported ten fatalities in Los Angeles County as of Friday. Republican leaders are attributing blame to the Democratic leadership in California, arguing that misguided policies hinder the effectiveness of emergency services during disasters.
On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump urged Governor Gavin Newsom to resign, alleging mismanagement of the state’s water reserves. DeSantis challenged the media's portrayal of this call during a press conference with other Republican governors at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, after a reporter suggested Trump’s remarks were inappropriate.
DeSantis confronted the reporter directly, asking, “Is it appropriate for people in your industry to try to create division and to try to create narratives anytime these things happen? ... If Newsom was a Republican, you guys would have him nailed to the wall…”
He referenced the media's coverage of past incidents in Florida, including the tragic condominium collapse in Surfside in 2021. According to DeSantis, residents of Florida expect the media to politicize any similar events, and he criticized pro-Democratic journalists for their past behavior, claiming they are not in a position to critique the Republican party’s messaging now.
DeSantis also called for accountability from California's other leaders, mentioning Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as a primary target for conservative criticism during the crisis. Bass was attending a delegation in Ghana for the inauguration of President John Mahama and returned only after a significant portion of the region was devastated, with over 1,000 homes lost and around 100,000 residents forced to evacuate.
The mayor reportedly underestimated the dangers posed to the city, despite the National Weather Service issuing warnings of extreme weather conditions the previous Thursday, as noted by the New York Times.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump urged Governor Gavin Newsom to resign, alleging mismanagement of the state’s water reserves. DeSantis challenged the media's portrayal of this call during a press conference with other Republican governors at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, after a reporter suggested Trump’s remarks were inappropriate.
DeSantis confronted the reporter directly, asking, “Is it appropriate for people in your industry to try to create division and to try to create narratives anytime these things happen? ... If Newsom was a Republican, you guys would have him nailed to the wall…”
He referenced the media's coverage of past incidents in Florida, including the tragic condominium collapse in Surfside in 2021. According to DeSantis, residents of Florida expect the media to politicize any similar events, and he criticized pro-Democratic journalists for their past behavior, claiming they are not in a position to critique the Republican party’s messaging now.
DeSantis also called for accountability from California's other leaders, mentioning Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as a primary target for conservative criticism during the crisis. Bass was attending a delegation in Ghana for the inauguration of President John Mahama and returned only after a significant portion of the region was devastated, with over 1,000 homes lost and around 100,000 residents forced to evacuate.
The mayor reportedly underestimated the dangers posed to the city, despite the National Weather Service issuing warnings of extreme weather conditions the previous Thursday, as noted by the New York Times.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
