The pair traveled to California after reportedly trying to pressure a top government official to open the water pump

Summary

DOGE staffers Tyler Hassen and Bryton Shang tried pressuring the Bureau of Reclamation to open a California water pump to aid Los Angeles during January’s wildfires, though the system couldn’t reach the city.

When denied, they flew there to do it themselves but failed due to maintenance and access restrictions.

Critics called DOGE a “slapstick operation of 20-somethings they’re seeing as whiz kids but have zero knowledge.”

Trump later ordered dam releases, flooding farmland. Critics called DOGE’s actions reckless and uninformed.

  • FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io
    1041·
    13 hours ago

    The damage was ultimately done anyways: They ordered a shitload of water released with no benefit, now the state no longer has that reserve for later, when it is actually needed.

    They were never out to help anyone, this was sabotage all along. They knew it wouldn’t help and they didn’t care because that was never their goal.

      • takeda@lemm.ee
        18·
        10 hours ago

        Yes, the fire was already nearly contained and also the initial water problem wasn’t because of water shortage, but because the infrastructure wasn’t able to keep up the demand.

        This video explains the problem https://youtu.be/Y1N2BwcAT-s

        The water that trump released, won’t even get anywhere close to Los Angeles, it goes (went?) to the ocean 100 miles away from the city.

        Those dams were build to prevent floods in the area in spring, and are used to provide water for farmers. So this move could cause a food shortage.

        This water can’t be physically used by Los Angeles, because it isn’t even physically connected. Trump thinks that because the dam is on top of the map, it has to go down.

    • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
      4·
      10 hours ago

      That is a separate incident. Perhaps I should have said additional damage.