Trump links California wildfire aid to changes in water and voting policies

• Voter Identification: Key for President Trump
• Water Policies: Another Point of Conflict
• Governor Newsom: In the President’s Crosshairs

United States President Donald Trump stated on Friday that California must implement two key changes to access federal aid for reconstruction after the fires:

Require voter identification and change its water management policy.

«I just want them to ask for an ID card to vote and for the water to be released. Then they will receive a lot of help from the United States,» Trump stated.

This occurred during a visit to North Carolina, from where he will depart to Los Angeles to assess the damage caused by the recent fires, ending the day in Las Vegas.

DONALD TRUMP SETS CONDITIONS FOR AIDING CALIFORNIA

President Trump has been criticizing the response to the fires by the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, one of the stars of the Democratic Party.

And this Friday Trump again repeated false claims about the state authorities, stating that «they did not allow the water to flow.»

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Since the fires began on January 7th, Trump has accused state authorities of wasting large amounts of water.

According to him, they send it to the Pacific Ocean instead of directing it towards Los Angeles.

Tension Over Water Management After California Wildfires

Trump falsely claims that the change in water flow is due to state efforts to protect a tiny fish called «delta smelt,»

Falsely suggesting that water could be diverted from Canada and that it would be enough to turn a valve to solve the state’s water problems.

Hours after taking office again on Monday, now President Trump urged the Administration to devise a plan to get more water to California’s Central Valley.

As well as the densely populated cities of Southern California.

Voter Identification: A Political Debate

On Wednesday, in an interview on the conservative network Fox, he threatened not to give California federal aid if its leaders do not modify the state’s water policy.

On the other hand, Donald Trump’s demands regarding voter identification are part of a claim by sectors of the Republican Party.

For years, they have sought to require a photo ID to vote, although there is no national identity document in the United States.

Republicans argue that the identification requirement is key to preventing electoral fraud.

Fake News and Threats

Democrats argue that this measure would reduce participation, especially among people with lower economic resources, since the most common identification document is the driver’s license, and not all citizens have one.

Currently, 36 states have laws that request or require some form of identification to vote at the polls.

The remaining 14 states, including California, and the District of Columbia, use other methods to verify the identity of voters.

Such as signature comparison, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

*WITH INFORMATION FROM EFE.

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