Sen. Bernie Sanders wants President-elect Donald Trump to treat the Palisade Fires as an "existential crisis." (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Conservative commentator and author Justin Haskins, director of the Socialism Research Center at the Heartland Institute, noted, "Wildfires, including ones much larger than this, have been happening in California forever."
Nicole Shanahan — who was Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential running mate last year before the pair dropped out and supported GOP candidate Donald Trump — was also among those who responded to Sanders' comments.
"State mismanagement is real, Bernie," she noted.
Sanders has long issued such dire warnings.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES DEVASTATE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, KILLING 5 AND THREATENING THOUSANDS OF HOMES
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on Jan. 8, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
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Freshman Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., the first transgender-identifying member of Congress, described the fire as a climate catastrophe.
"I’m praying for the victims of the raging fires around Los Angeles. The loss of life, homes, businesses and entire neighborhoods is devastating. I stand ready to work with my colleagues representing these communities to guarantee they have the resources they need to contain these fires, recover, rebuild, and prevent these climate catastrophes in the future," McBride declared in a post on X.
Trump has declared that California Gov. Gavin Newsom should resign.
"One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!" Trump declared in a Truth Social post late Wednesday night.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, Newsom noted in a post on X, "People are literally fleeing. Kids have lost their schools. Communities have lost their churches. Families have lost their homes. Some have even lost their lives. And the President-Elect’s response is to politicize it. We’ll continue to focus on what matters: saving lives and putting out these unprecedented fires."
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection currently reports partial containment of the Lidia and Hurst fires, while others are listed at 0% containment on fire.ca.gov.
Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report
Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bernie-sanders-takes-heat-blaming-california-wildfires-climate-change-global-warming-ate-my-homework