The Young and The Restless actor Eric Braeden expressed his disapproval of Donald Trump during a CNN interview on Friday morning regarding the president-elect’s comments about the California wildfires.
Braeden, aged 83, appeared on the channel following his Instagram post on Thursday, which featured a striking video of flames encroaching on his residence where he has lived for over four decades. “Well, we’re going to have to evacuate our house,” Braeden is heard saying in the footage. “Okay, everybody, look at this beautiful area going up in flames. Unbelievable.”
Shortly after this, he was a guest on CNN, speaking with Laura Coates.
Braeden mentioned that the proximity of the fire had frightened him “the living daylights” out, despite having witnessed numerous wildfires during his years in the region.
“It’s the cost of residing in this beautiful area,” he remarked. “California is an incredible state. It ranks among the most productive states in the country—not that the orange fool set to take office on January 25th seems to think so, but it truly is one of the most productive states in the entire United States.”
While Braeden didn’t directly refer to Trump—whose inauguration is actually scheduled for January 20—he circled back to this topic when Coates inquired about his views on the government’s response to the crisis.
“To be honest, I believe everyone is really trying their best, okay?” he replied. “And some fool—the orange fool—went on TV … and spouted all sorts of nonsense about [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom and California’s water management. Complete nonsense.”
Trump has frequently placed the blame for the wildfire situation on Newsom and has called for his resignation, though a spokesperson for the Democratic governor has dismissed Trump’s remarks as “pure fiction” and accused the president-elect of politicizing the issue.
Braeden shared similar sentiments about the attacks.
“What some of these individuals are spreading on one particular network and in some podcasts is outrageous and very detrimental to our country,” he stated on CNN.
He also praised the United States, drawing from his upbringing in post-World War II Germany.
“This is a wonderful nation, believe me, I speak from experience—I hail from a nation that once embraced fascist ideology,” Braeden noted. “And we certainly don’t want to return to that period. But we are perilously close to it because some individuals prefer to oversimplify intricate issues. The core of fascism lies in simplifying complex problems and catering to those who lack the time to digest the nonsense.”
