BAKERSFIELD, CA (KMJ) – President Trump visited Bakersfield to speak to Valley farmers about water access.
President Trump flew into Bakersfield on Wednesday with Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, speaking to a large crowd at the airport hangar, about conservation and distribution in the western part of the country.
Off the top, President Trump recognized the two firefighters who died fighting Tuesday’s fire in the Porterville Public Library.
Trump vowed to remove what he called dated biological opinions and allow the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumps to deliver millions of gallons of water from Northern California to 25 million people in the southern part of California.
“As a candidate for president, I promised to help solve the water crisis that was crippling our farmers due to the chronic mismanagement and misguided policies,” Trump told a crowd in Bakersfield. “In 2018, I ordered the administration to update the outdated scientific research and biological opinions that help determine water allocation right here in the state of California. … With today’s action we will help bring farm land back to life.”
Earlier Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would sue the Trump’s administration to block increased water deliveries to the San Joaquin Valley, to save an endangered fish.
Trump, in turn blamed Democratic Governor Newsom and state government for stopping the flow of water.
“Maybe we can get the governor to come along and really be friendly on this one,” said President Trump.
Democratic Gov. Newsom said he will negotiate with federal officials and is “committed to working to resolve these remaining differences.”
Trump also used the event to take another swipe at Bloomberg, who was criticized in 2016 for saying at Oxford University, “I could teach anybody, even people in this room, no offense intended, to be a farmer.” The former New York mayor continued: “It’s a process. You dig a hole, you put a seed in, you put dirt on top, add water, up comes the corn.”
“Mini Mike hates the farmer,”‘ Trump said. “Never mind, I don’t think he’s going to be the candidate anyway, to be honest with you.”
Trump’s first of three rallies in three days was set for Phoenix, located in a 2020 battleground state and home to Republican Sen. Martha McSally, who stood by the president during the Senate’s impeachment trial.
He’ll hold another rally for another vulnerable Republican, Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, on Thursday in Colorado Springs.
