President Donald Trump said Monday that he ordered the U.S. military to divert water from the Pacific Northwest to Southern California as part of his presidential action of “Putting People over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California.

President Donald Trump speaks at the 2025 House Republican Members Conference Dinner at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Fla., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. On the same day, he posted on social media that military troops had "turned on" Pacific Northwest water to help California. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) AP

President Trump has issued a directive calling for 'putting people over fish' in California water policy. State officials say it could prove harmful for water supplies and fish.