Trump Criticizes California with Viral LA Fire Hydrant Video
Former US President Donald Trump targeted California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday by sharing a video depicting chaotic scenes in downtown Los Angeles. The footage, posted to Trump's Truth Social platform, showed a woman using a wrench to pry open a fire hydrant so she could wash blankets on the sidewalk.
Video Depicts Downtown LA Reality
The narrator in Trump's video states, 'This is downtown Los Angeles, California, where Hollywood is at. This is not a movie, though, it's not a joke, and it's not a publicity stunt. This is the reality that people are living in.' The woman could be seen repeatedly filling a cup from the hydrant, sometimes setting it on the dirty sidewalk before pouring water into a transparent container packed with fabric. She emptied the bucket completely before placing another batch of laundry inside, all in plain public view.
The original video that Trump posted had accumulated nearly 1.6 million views on Instagram as of Saturday night. Trump has regularly clashed with California's Democratic leaders, including Newsom, frequently criticizing the West Coast state's problems with homelessness, crime, drug abuse, and fraud.
Social Media Reaction and Olympic Concerns
Immediately after his initial post, Trump published a follow-up on Truth Social attaching a screenshot from an X user claiming that 'Los Angeles fire hydrants seem to be working just fine now.' However, reaction across social media was swift, with online commenters condemning what they had seen in downtown LA.
One user wrote, 'Los Angeles — supposed to host the OLYMPICS in 2028 — now has fire hydrants turning into where homeless and poor people wash their clothes. Gavin is a FAILURE.' Another commented, 'Oh my gosh. How can Los Angeles host the Olympics when we have people living on the streets?' Other commenters called the footage 'shameful', a 'cesspool', or a 'total failure' and pointed to California's steep taxes.
Los Angeles is set to host major events during what would be Trump's potential second presidency, namely the 2028 Summer Olympics and some FIFA World Cup matches this summer.
History of Fire Hydrant Controversy
Trump previously criticized LA's fire hydrants while the Palisades fire was raging across the county last January, as firefighters struggled to respond on time. Some hydrants ran dry after being pushed beyond capacity, making it more difficult to combat upwards of a thousand buildings that were burning.
The former president posted on Truth Social at the time that 'Governor Gavin Newscum' was responsible for there being 'no water for fire hydrants.' Some online commenters referenced this previous spat after Trump's Sunday post, with one X user writing, 'Surprised to see a working fire hydrant…' and another posting, 'At least there's water in the hydrants!!!!!'
Following Trump's criticism last year, Newsom ordered an investigation into why some fire hydrants were unusable, saying there needed to be 'answers to how that happened.' The LA Department of Water and Power insisted they never ran out of water, according to ABC7, explaining that demand surged to roughly four times normal usage, causing pressure issues.
Upcoming LA Leadership Election
Los Angeles could soon see a shift in leadership, with Mayor Karen Bass facing a primary election in June. A recent poll conducted by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs suggested that Bass remained in the lead among likely primary voters, though her support has come under pressure after her handling of the Palisades fire.
The incumbent mayor is facing substantial pressure as her approval rating has declined. Bass received 25 percent support in the survey, with former reality TV personality Spencer Pratt placing second at 11 percent. Pratt's political career follows years on television, including the hit MTV series The Hills, where he met his wife Heidi Montag.
Nithya Raman, a city councilmember who belongs to the Democratic Socialists of America, came in a close third with nine percent. A separate recent poll conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by The Los Angeles Times showed similar results. That survey of 840 likely voters conducted between March 9 and 15 also found that Bass led with 25 percent, while Raman came in second with 17 percent and Pratt placed in third with 14 percent.
Raman's candidacy has been compared to Zohran Mamdani's in New York City, which ended with him elected as the Big Apple's mayor. The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House and Gavin Newsom's press office for comment.
