Gavin Newsom was left fumbling for a response after he was chased down by a distraught Los Angeles mom demanding answers over the wildfires ravaging the city.
The California governor apologized and claimed to be trying to reach President Biden on the phone in a bid to shoo away the emotional woman on Thursday.
The tense exchange came as large swathes of the city remained engulfed by the flames that have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.
‘Governor that was my daughter’s school,’ the mom cried out as she ran over to Newsom’s SUV.
Newsom was unable to provide a concrete response about the recovery effort during the grilling, which lasted almost two, excruciating minutes.
‘I’m literally talking to the president right now to specifically answer the question of what we can do for you and your daughter,’ Newsom first claimed.
But when the distraught mom asked if she could be a party to the call, the governor was forced to admit he had yet to get ahold of Biden.
‘I’ve tried five times to make the call,’ Newsom said, prompting the woman to then ask why the president was not taking his calls.
Gavin Newsom was left fumbling for a response after he was chased down by a distraught Los Angeles woman who was demanding answers about the wildfires ravaging the city
Wildfires which began on Tuesday have continued to ravage the City of Angels, so far claiming five lives
‘It’s not going through, I have to get cell service,’ he added, which only caused the persistent mom to insist she witness the moment when he gets through to the commander-in-chief.
‘I’m devastated for you, I am so sorry, especially for your daughter,’ Newsom told her. ‘I have four kids, losing a school…’.
‘Everyone who went to school there, they lost two homes because they were living in one home or another,’ the mom interjected before asking: ‘Why was there no water in the hydrants, governor?’
As the exchange continued, Newsom vowed that things would be different ‘next time’, without specifying what he might be referring to.
‘I would fill up the hydrants myself, would you do that?’ the woman demanded of the increasingly uncomfortable Newsom, who insisted he would do ‘whatever it takes’.
‘But you’re not!’ the resident then exploded, before informing him there was ‘water dripping’ nearby that could be used.
Newsom then started climbing into the vehicle even as the woman continued to beg for his contact details.
Her concerns echo those of many Los Angelinos who have questioned the response to the wildfires which have so far claimed five lives and decimated at least 2,000 buildings.
The California Governor apologized and claimed to be trying to reach the president on the phone when he was accosted by the emotional woman
He was unable to provide any concrete response when the woman continued to press him about what was being done for the relief effort
A structure is burned by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles
On Thursday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tried to deflect criticism that fire hydrants rans dry by insisting they were filled, but simply were not designed to cope with a disaster of this scale.
Her comments came as the fires continued to burn for the third consecutive day, with the Pacific Palisades blaze becoming the most devastating in the county’s history.
Almost 180,000 people are under evacuation orders, with hundreds of thousands still without power.