Rachel Maddow mocks Trump for thinking ‘there’s a water tower’ in California ‘like a New York building’

Trump falsely claimed that his government, under 'Emergency Powers', ensured the flow of water to the Los Angeles area
Rachel Maddow slams Donald Trump over his 'turning the water on' remark in California (Getty Images)
Rachel Maddow slams Donald Trump over his 'turning the water on' remark in California (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Just a few days after comparing Donald Trump to the late Cuban Communist leader Fidel Castro, vocal critic and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has mocked the Republican president for his comments on providing water supply to Los Angeles by "turning on" the water from Northern California. 

Maddow recently appeared on the 'Pod Save America' podcast, hosted by former Barack Obama aide Jon Favreau. On the podcast, she did not withhold her criticism of the president for his recent remarks.



 

Rachel Maddow mocks Donald Trump over his water remark

During Rachel Maddow’s recent appearance at the 'Pod Save America' podcast, Favreau asked the political commentator whether there was any particular instance from Donald Trump’s first week in office during his second administration that particularly caught her attention. 

“Has there been a moment where it’s like hit you personally, where you’re just watching it? You’re like, 'oh, yeah, this is going to we’re going to be doing this for four more years now?'” asked Favreau to the journalist, as reported by Mediaite.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 27: Rachel Maddow is seen in conversation with David Remnick during the The 2024 New Yorker Festival at Webster Hall on October 27, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for The New Yorker)
Rachel Maddow is seen in conversation with David Remnick during the The 2024 New Yorker Festival at Webster Hall on October 27, 2024 in New York City (Craig Barritt/Getty Images for The New Yorker)

“You know what it was? It was the, in the flurry of first couple days of actions, there was the stuff about water in California that Trump started sort of elaborating on it,” responded Maddow, elaborating, “There was an executive action about it, but then he also started talking about it, about how we need, we need to turn the valve.”

Favreau chimed in, “Yeah, there is a valve in Northern California that if you just turn it, we will get water in Los Angeles.”

Maddow further continued, “He thinks, I think that North is also up and that up, there’s a water tower, like it’s a New York building.”

GREENVALE, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 05: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump dances after speaking during the FOX Nation's Patriot Awards at the Tilles Center on December 05, 2024 in Greenvale, New York. President-elect Trump was in attendance for the Patriot awards where he was the recipient of the “Patriot of the Year
President Donald Trump dances after speaking during the FOX Nation's Patriot Awards at the Tilles Center on December 5, 2024 in Greenvale, New York (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“And if you just turn the valve, then down gets the water,” she continued, before recalling, “And in the campaign, you might remember him riffing a lot on the difficulty of washing his hair and how many times he has to flush the toilet to make what’s in the toilet go down the toilet.”

Maddow quipped, “And I was realizing like, oh, we’re gonna get the plumbing stuff again.”

Donald Trump previously claimed the US Army ‘turned on the water’ for Los Angeles

Maddow’s latest rant against the president came just a few days after Trump claimed that his government, under “Emergency Powers", ensured the flow of water to the Los Angeles area. 

He took to his Truth Social and wrote, “The United States Military just entered the Great State of California and, under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond.”

He continued, “The days of putting a Fake Environmental argument, over the PEOPLE, are OVER. Enjoy the water, California!!!”



 

Nevertheless, soon, California officials, along with the Department of Defense took it upon themselves to debunk the viral claim. 

Jennifer Griffin of Fox News reported on Tuesday, January 28, by writing on her X profile, “US defense officials tell me they did not send troops to “turn on the water” in California, despite President Trump’s claims overnight.”



 

Governor Gavin Newsom of California too issued a statement, debunking the claim, “Broadly, there is no water shortage in Southern California right now, despite Trump’s claims that he would open some imaginary spigot.”

He added, “Orange County Water District, which supplies groundwater to the north half of the county, has enough supply to carry its 2.5 million customers through the worst of any potential droughts for 3 to 5 years. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California also has an abundance, with a record 3.8 million acre-feet of water in storage. That’s enough water to supply 40 million people for a year.”

Rachel Maddow compares Trump to Fidel Castro

Maddow’s recent rant against Trump also came at the heels of her heated virtual exchange where she compared the GOP spearhead with the late Cuban leader, Fidel Castro.

Reflecting on one of Trump’s first executive orders upon becoming the president where he issued approximately 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 of his supporters in connection with the 2021 riot, Maddow made the viral claims. 



 

Talking about Steward Rhodes, founder of the far-right Oath Keepers and one of the Capitol Hill rioters convicted of seditious conspiracy, Maddow claimed in her eponymous MSNBC show, "There are rumors circulating that Trump had wanted to bring his felons - had wanted to bring these guys who violently attacked police and were convicted for it - all to the White House too.”

Maddow added, "That's the sort of thing that probably sounded great at a Trump rally, probably sounded like it was something the people wanted, when you were stewing about stuff like this at a Trump rally.”

"At one of your Fidel Castro, Castro-esque, you know, three and a half hour long rambly speeches where most of the people left before you were halfway through it," she continued. 

Her rant also gained her a disfavor from the president as well, who also hit back with a fiery response on his Truth Social. 



 

"Wow! Rachel Maddow has horrible ratings. She’ll be off the air very soon,” wrote the irate president, before adding, "MSNBC IS CLOSE TO DEATH. CNN HAS REACHED THE BOTTOM. This is a good thing. They are the Enemy of the people!"

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