Memes flood internet after Trump says US military 'turned on the water' in California
US President Donald Trump. PHOTO: REUTERS
Donald Trump's recent Truth Social post, where he claimed that the U.S. military had entered California to "turn on the water," has ignited a meme frenzy across social media. In the post shared on January 27, 2025, Trump detailed that military action was taken under emergency powers, purportedly to fix California’s water shortage amid the devastating LA fires.
However, his comments sparked mass confusion, with memes quickly circulating on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with users humorously questioning the claim. One user tweeted, "So basically our president sent our corp of engineers to California and THEY TURNED ON THE WATER 😂🤔."
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🚨🚨🚨
— Christopher S Rutter (@ChrisrutterCr) January 28, 2025
So basically our president sent our corp of engineers to California and THEY TURNED ON THE WATER😂🤔🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/Y7bZNz5HtI
Donald Trump turning on the water to California, 2025 (colorized): pic.twitter.com/evfSgWQtJf
— Unjon (@jontheharris) January 28, 2025
And then and then and then my cult leader turned on the water from NorCal to SoCal by turning the big faucet pic.twitter.com/JYc9RjRJOF
Despite the viral post, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) responded by clarifying that the situation was not as Trump described. They confirmed that the water pumps were simply offline for maintenance and that no military intervention was involved.
California State Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire further denied Trump’s allegations about the water being "cut off" by the state, reiterating that the pumps were being serviced.
Trump's controversial comments follow his recent executive order, which directed the federal government to take charge of water management in California, aiming to boost supplies for firefighters.
However, a spokesperson for Governor Gavin Newsom has refuted the president’s claims about water being withheld for fighting fires. This episode highlights the ongoing tension between state and federal authorities on handling California’s complex water issues.