President Trump heightened his battle with California over water policy by suggesting troops arrived in the state to turn on water pumps — which state officials quickly denied.

The California Department of Water Resources on Tuesday rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that the U.S. military “turned on the water” supply in the state. In a statement on X, formerly Twitter,

As a rule, the president’s water-related preoccupation generates eye-rolling and easy jokes. Sometimes, however, it’s not funny at all.