I was bombarded w/ messages about Trump’s claims about California water & a “certain little tiny fish,” the delta smelt, the topic of my dissertation & current book project. I wrote a short reaction piece but was unable to get it published as an oped. Here it is a thread 🧵 1/25

The Real Meaning of Trump’s “Bizarre” Claims About California Water Politics:

Trump’s recent behavior may be erratic, but his statements on California water politics have been remarkably consistent. We should acknowledge what he is doing and refuse to take the bait. 2/25

In one of his first interviews after being diagnosed with COVID-19, President Trump complained to Sean Hannity of Fox News that California has to “ration” water because it pours its supply into the sea to “take care of certain little tiny fish.” 3/25

The fish in question is the delta smelt, an endangered species that is found only in the northeastern part of San Francisco Bay, where it receives the flow of the mighty rivers that drain the Sierra Nevada. 4/25

This area, known locally as “the Delta,” is the lynchpin of California’s water system. 5/25