GOP nominee Donald Trump recently told a California crowd, in Fresno, “there is no drought” in their state. He claims state officials are intentionally denying water to farmers in the middle of the state in order to reroute the water to the ocean so they can protect a certain California fish instead.
Donald Trump tells drought-stricken California: ‘There is no drought’ https://t.co/UVcCxk1mfw
— TIME.com (@TIME) May 27, 2016
“It is so ridiculous where they’re taking the water and shoving it out to sea,” Trump said. “There is no drought. They turn the water out into the ocean.”
It is true that the delta smelt fish is nearing extinction and some water has been allocated to maintain its habitat, but the drought is far from false. 2015 was one of the driest years in California on record. But that does not prevent Trump from spewing out untrue assertions about the state’s environmental issues.
“If I win, believe me, we’re going to start opening up the water so that you can have your farmers survive,” Trump said. “We’re going to get it done, and we’re going to get it done quick. Don’t even think about it.”
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