Actor Mel Gibson, recently named one of President Donald Trump’s special ambassadors to Hollywood, joined an effort to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom following the devastating and deadly Los Angeles wildfires.
The well-known movie star spoke in Atladena on Wednesday during a news conference held by Saving California, the group behind the most recent recall effort.
“We deserve much more and much better, and there is absolutely no adequate excuse the governor or mayor can make for this gross mismanagement and failure to preemptively deal with what they knew was coming,” Gibson said.
Twenty nine people were killed in the Palisades and Eaton fires, which combined to burn over 37,000 acres and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. Newsom has said that the L.A. wildfires could be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.
Gibson lost his home in the Palisades Fire and blames Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass along with Newsom for letting the wildfires explode in size, causing widespread devastation.
“Was it incompetence? Was it indifference, complacency, carelessness? Was it negligence? Absolutely,” Gibson said.
Gibson went on to add that a federal investigation should come with any federal aid for California.
Some of those in attendance called for Gibson to run for governer.
Newsom spokesman Nathan Click criticized the group and its efforts saying in a statement that the governor “is focused on leading the state and the recovery from the L.A. fires – not politics,” the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
