California Governor Gavin Newsom is catching serious heat after a viral X video showed him blaming “climate change” for why Pacific Palisades still hasn’t rebuilt after devastating wildfires. The clip exploded online after being posted by @libsoftiktok, racking up more than a million views. And conservatives say Newsom is once again hiding behind buzzwords instead of owning the disaster his own policies helped create.
The Pacific Palisades fire torched more than 36 square miles, wiping out homes, businesses and entire neighborhoods. Residents have been stuck for months dealing with impossible insurance rules, frozen mortgages and state red tape that stops every step of recovery. Many say this crisis wasn’t caused by climate change at all — but by California’s broken system.
Newsom doesn’t see it that way. In the clip, he says climate change is making “the hots hotter, the dry drier,” and claims that’s why insurers are fleeing. But critics immediately pointed out something he conveniently left out: the fire was started by a 29-year-old arson suspect, not by rising temperatures.
And that’s not all. Fire crews were short on equipment. Reservoirs were empty. Controlled burns were ignored. Budgets were slashed. Even the state’s DEI-driven hiring policies have been blamed for weakening firefighting readiness. But instead of addressing any of that, Newsom pointed at climate change with burning homes behind him.
X users weren’t buying it. One wrote, “Gavin Newsom blames fake climate change for why he’s failed to rebuild the Palisades. California is really screwed.” Another added, “UNREAL: Always blame, never fix.” Some called him out for draining water into the ocean, ignoring arson, and using the tragedy to fundraise instead of helping victims.
A few defended him, saying weather made conditions worse. But they were drowned out by thousands calling out years of Democratic mismanagement. Others mocked his dramatic hand motions, joking they were a telltale sign he wasn’t being honest.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are scrambling to push a $2.5 billion wildfire package. But critics say it’s more political theater than real reform. They argue that nothing changes unless California fixes the root causes: failed forest management, insurance policies that punish homeowners and leadership more focused on climate speeches than action.
Now months later, families in Pacific Palisades still can’t rebuild. They can’t get insurance. They can’t secure loans. And they can’t get straight answers from the state. For many, Newsom’s viral comments didn’t just miss the mark — they confirmed exactly why California keeps burning.
Newsom may blame climate change, but residents say the real disaster is Sacramento. And this video only poured gasoline on a debate that isn’t dying anytime soon.