CALIFORNIA/CLIMATE CHANGE/NATURAL DISASTERS: [Reporter: “is it possible that it’s also forest management and climate change — it’s both of things at the same time?”]
“Well, I think something is possible. I think a lot of things are possible.
But with regard to the forest: When trees fall down, after a short period of time — about 18 months — they become very dry. They become, really, like a matchstick. And they get up — you know, there’s no more water pouring through, and they become very, very — well, they just explode. They can explode.
Also, leaves — when you have years of leaves — dried leaves — on the ground, it just sets it up. It’s really a fuel for a fire. So they have to do something about it…
I was talking to a head of a major country, and he said, ‘We’re a forest nation. We consider ourself a forest nation.’ This was in Europe. I said, ‘That’s a beautiful term.’ He said, ‘We have trees that are far more explosive…’ — he meant ‘explosive’ in terms of fire — ‘…but we have trees that are more explosive they have in California, and we don’t have any problem because we manage our forests.’ So we have to do that in California, too.”
-Donald Trump, “Remarks by President Trump After Air Force One Arrival | McClellan Park, CA,” whitehouse.gov, Sep. 14, 2020