California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) swiftly dismissed Donald Trump's efforts to "play politics" on Wednesday after the president-elect blamed him for the devastating Los Angeles wildfires that have killed at least five people.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (Democrat) swiftly dismissed Donald Trump’s efforts to “play politics” on Wednesday after the president-elect blamed him for the devastating Los Angeles wildfires that have killed at least five people.

“One can’t even respond to it,” said Newsom in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper as the two stood in front of a burning property.

“People are literally fleeing, people have lost their lives, kids lost their schools, families completely torn asunder, churches burned down. This guy wanted to politicise it. I have a lot of thoughts and I know what I want to say. I won’t.”

Newsom told Cooper that he was “proud” to stand next to Joe Biden earlier in the day as the president met with officials fighting the fires in Los Angeles.

“And he had the backs of every single person in this community. He didn’t play politics, didn’t try to divide any of us,” said Newsom,

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