WASHINGTON – Gov. Gavin Newsom’s official reason for visiting Washington this week was to step up federal disaster aid in response to the Los Angeles County wildfires.
But the Democratic governor of California had a different purpose. It’s about continuing to repair the rocky relationship with the commander.
“It was friendly and had a relationship that was born out of the crisis around Covid,” Newsom said in an interview Thursday, adding that President Trump came towards California during the pandemic. “I wanted to go back to that space.”
The governor on Wednesday spent 90-minute sit-in with the president of the Oval Office, with a “realistic and substantive” conversation that includes more troubling topics such as wildfire recovery and water policy and Newsom’s desk bill. I explained that. Increase legal funds to challenge the president’s actions in court.
Newsom’s Republican expedition to the White House shows the evolution of his approach to Trump. From democratic fighters and outspoken critics during the bruise-hit election cycle to politicians keen to building a path to work together to overcome “noise” and benefit Californians.
“In times of need and crisis, people need to see their representatives working together,” Newsom said. “There’s no patience for people who are in crisis.”
As the country’s top Democrat who elected Trump in November, he crosses the party’s boundaries, calling him a “news come” and rebuilds his bond with the same man who previously blamed him for the wildfires Even if the governor has presidential ambitions, he can help his political career himself. Wednesday’s visit looked like the president’s first meeting with the Democratic governor in his second term.
“This isn’t Newsom’s first rodeo and he realizes this isn’t his last disaster,” said Jack Pittney, a political professor at Claremont McKenna University. “If he becomes an effective governor, he needs to keep the boundaries of communications to the White House open. If he doesn’t, he is not an effective governor, and that’s what he is saying. It will make it difficult to move forward.”
Newsom and Trump’s relationship appeared to improve in real time when the president visited Los Angeles two weeks ago to investigate the damage caused by the wildfire.
Newsom waited patiently on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport to greet the president, slamming his shoes as he hugged him. Minutes after Newsmu praised Trump, the president pledged to help restore the wildfires, without mentioning the situation he threatened to demand in exchange for aid earlier in the day.
“When we got off the runway, it felt like we were in the middle of a conversation four and a half years ago,” Newsmu said during his first in-person speech since Trump took office. He talked about his quick shift towards homosexuality.
The next day, after a short airport chat and a 30-minute call, the daily barrage of criticism against Trump’s governor was almost stopped. Newsom is careful not to respond immediately to everything Trump says and does, but walks the subtle lines he speaks up when he feels California values are under attack.
“It’s a complex and engaging attack on the next level,” said Democrat consultant Robin Swanson.
Newsom is not alone. Gar Calvert, a professor of political science in Los Angeles, California, said other governors across the country are also trying to find ways to pass the needle with the president.
“The Trump administration is trying to demonstrate the strength of the federal government at the expense of states, and newspapers hope that the states will become independent and exercise some sovereignty, but that’s for many of the projects. Calvert also relies on federal funding.
Newsom is about to resume the same delicate balance he hit at the beginning of his first semester.
During the lieutenant governor in 2019, he walked through the ruins of a burnt paradise with then-President Trump and then-GOV. Jerry Brown after the most deadly wildfire in state history. The Covid-19 pandemic hit the following year, forcing Newsom as governor to rely on Trump to utilize the country’s protective equipment supply and seek support from other federal governments.
White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing Wednesday afternoon that Trump “enjoyed” his trip to investigate the Palisade fire ruins in the Pacific Ocean.
“He felt very inspired by the frustration of the residents there, and he said that the water is flowing in California to prevent these wildfires and that people have access to their property. I’m truly committed to doing this,” Levitt said, allowing people to return to private property as they “continue to apply a lot of pressure” to Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Masu.
Last week, Pacific Palisades were reopened for residents, but the curfew is still in place and the wreckage is ongoing.
“The president is willing to work with anyone in the blue or red states to do what’s best for Americans,” Leavitt said.
Newsom spokesman Brian Ferguson said federal aid in the wildfires is primarily supporting affected individuals.
Cities, counties, and states apply for federal rebates for expenses such as providing shelter, fire resources, and removal of debris. President Biden then promised to reimburse 100% of his fire response costs for the first six months, but will need additional support from the Trump administration as the community begins to rebuild.
“Continued partnerships and support from the federal government are important not only for the state but for local governments as buildings and recovery are in the next phase,” Ferguson said.
Newsom said the federal terms for Wildfire Aid were not “explicit terms” in conversation Wednesday, nor did they give details about how much Trump would stick to Biden’s commitment to reimbursing costs. Before Trump made his landfall in Los Angeles last month, he told reporters in North Carolina that aid to California would be conditional on the adoption of the state’s voter identification law, among other requests.
The governor said he praised the Environmental Protection Agency for praise for its work during the first phase of dangerous removal of wildfire debris.
On more controversial subjects, Newsom also provides Trump with $50 million to fund court agendas in response to the Trump administration and $50 million to support legal services. To that end, California lawmakers told Trump he would sign a bill that he sent to his desk. Immigrants.
“I said I’ve never used the phrase ‘preventing Trump’,” Newsom said. “And I said, and I’m doing it because we’ve already had to file a lawsuit against the actions you’ve taken and the actions you’ve taken in the past. These things There are various perspectives about it.”
When asked how Trump responded, Newsom laughed when he answered.
“You’re guessing,” Newsom said. “I don’t go into it, but that’s why it was a long-term conversation.”
Newsom said the president “reminded me of what we said in the trajectory of the campaign.”
California Republican Speaker Jessica Milan Patterson called on the governor for pushing for the special session bill “while running to President Trump for help at the same time.”
“The hypocrisy is amazing,” Milan said in a statement. “Instead of playing political games and placing yourself in 2028, Newsom should focus on solving the real problems faced by Californians. Homeless people who are ramping, failed It’s an affordable crisis that has forced schools, families and businesses to escape.”
State Sen. Henry Stern (D-Calabasas), whose district was affected by the wildfire, said Democrats are ready to fight Trump when necessary, but the disaster demands that they cooperate. .
“The governor is doing the right thing and he has the right humility in his tone,” Stern said. “There’s something about it cutting.”
Luna reported from Sacramento and from Pinho from Washington.
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