On Sunday, Donald Trump turned his attention to California, criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom through a video featuring unsettling scenes from downtown Los Angeles.
Trump posted a video on social media depicting a woman using a wrench to open a fire hydrant to wash her blankets, highlighting the challenges faced by some residents.
“This is downtown Los Angeles, California, where Hollywood is located,” the video’s narrator explains.
“But this isn’t a film, a joke, or a publicity stunt. It’s the reality people are dealing with,” the voiceover continues, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The footage shows the woman persistently filling a cup with water, which she occasionally rests on the grimy pavement before pouring it into a container filled with fabric.
At one point, she empties the water from the bucket, then places more of her laundry inside, all clearly visible to passersby.
The original video that Trump posted had amounted nearly 1.6million views on Instagram as of Saturday night.
Trump has regularly clashed with California’s Democratic leaders, including Newsom. He has frequently criticized the West Coast state’s problems with homelessness, crime, drug abuse and fraud.
Los Angeles is set to host major events during Trump’s second presidency, namely the 2028 Summer Olympics and some FIFA World Cup matches this summer.
US President Donald Trump posted a video Sunday on Truth Social which showed a woman breaking into a fire hydrant in Los Angeles to wash her blanket
Trump was involved in a spat over Los Angeles’ fire hydrants with California Gov. Gavin Newsom as the Palisades fire raged last year and firefighters struggled to respond on time
Immediately after his initial post, Trump published a follow-up on Truth Social to the video of the woman breaking into the fire hydrant.
The US President attached a screenshot from a user on X claiming that ‘Los Angeles fire hydrants seem to be working just fine now.’
However, the reaction across social media was quick, with online commenters condemning what they had seen in downtown LA.
‘Los Angeles — supposed to host the OLYMPICS in 2028 — now has fire hydrants turning into where homeless and poor people wash their clothes,’ one user wrote. ‘Gavin is a FAILURE.’
Another user said that ‘nothing has changed’ in LA, despite the city having been awarded important global events.
‘Oh my gosh,’ they wrote. ‘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.
‘Yet homelessness is everywhere… if Gavin Newsom even cares!’ the user added.
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 US 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 Trump’s previous spat with Newsom about the fire hydrants after his post on Sunday.
‘Surprised to see a working fire hydrant…’ one X user wrote.
‘At least there’s water in the hydrants!!!!!’ another posted.
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 that they never ran out of water, according to ABC7.
They said the problem was that demand surged to roughly four times normal usage, which in turn caused pressure issues.
Following Trump’s criticism, Newsom ordered an investigation into why some fire hydrants were unusable
LA Mayor Karen Bass is facing a primary election in June and is under pressure after her handling of the Palisades fire
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.
However, the incumbent mayor is facing substantial pressure, as her approval rating has declined following her handling of the Palisades fire.
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.
