California Gov. Gavin Newsom says that President Donald Trump’s “illegal militarization” of Los Angeles is hamstringing firefighting resources across the state, just as peak fire season begins.
Joint Task Force Rattlesnake is made up of over 300 California National Guard members who work at the direction of Cal Fire to help fight and prevent wildfires.
All 14 Rattlesnake teams responded to the catastrophic wildfires that ravaged Pacific Palisades and Altadena in January, but according to Newsom’s office, only nine are now available since federal officials deployed the National Guard – and they are all “significantly understaffed.”
“With peak fire season right on the horizon, we need all available boots on the ground to protect communities,” Newsom said in a statement issued Tuesday. “President Trump’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles is sidelining crucial firefighting and prevention resources – more than half of Task Force Rattlesnake.”
Newsom also noted that the Trump administration’s cuts to the U.S. Forest Service have led to that agency losing 10% of all positions and a quarter of positions outside of direct wildfire response.
Despite these challenges, the governor commented on the Golden State’s “unprecedented wildfire readiness,” saying that Cal Fire has beefed up its workforce considerably over the past five years.
Trump’s move to order the National Guard to be deployed to Los Angeles drew criticism from both L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and Newsom himself.
