‘Do The Right Thing’: Gavin Newsom Blasts Mike Johnson’s ‘Partisan Games’ Amid Wildfires

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday knocked House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for politicizing a crisis after he entertained putting conditions on disaster relief aid as the deadly Los Angeleswildfires continue to burn.

Newsom — in a response to an X post from Johnson — argued that Californians including those impacted by the fires “foot the bill to help” the House speaker’s constituents in Louisiana when that state’s residents need help after hurricanes.

“And they do it without playing partisan games,” he added.

“Millions of your supporters are out here and they need your help, empathy, care and whatever compassion you are willing to express. Do the right thing.”

Johnson is one of anumber ofRepublicans who have been open to putting conditions on aid for California.

He told CNN’s Manu Raju this week that there should be a “serious conversation” on conditions to aid before claiming California fumbled both its water resource and forest management.

Over the years, right-wing figures have pushed misleading claims about California’s “bad” forest management while ignoring how climate change impacts measures meant to prevent the spread of fires, Media Matters for America reported.

The blazes in Los Angeles, which could become the costliest disaster in U.S. history, have killed at least 27 people and destroyed over 12,000 structures.

On Thursday, Newsom kicked off a testy social media exchange with Johnson after he dropped a video “message” urging the House speaker to “help” his supporters in California.

“Whatever compassion you can express, as opposed to condemnation and divisive language that has aided and abetted nothing except mis and disinformation, that’s flamed fear and flamed a lot of anxiety for folks that are simply trying to recover,” he told progressive podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen in the clip.

Johnson responded, writing, “Instead of making highly produced clap back videos with social media influencers, you should get to work helping Californians. You’re the leader of a state in crisis, and you should finally start acting like it.”

In a separate clip from his interview with Cohen, Newsom said that the right-wing disinformation amid the fires is all a “deep distraction.”

“And it is what it is, that’s the world we’re living in. We can’t deny it, it’s not what happens, it’s our response to what happens and our response is to focus on the mission at hand, helping people in need,” he said.