President Donald Trump visited Los Angeles on Friday to assess the damage caused by the devastating Palisades Fire and pledged full federal support for rebuilding all areas damaged by January’s historic fire. I promised.
President Trump was received by California Governor Gavin Newsom at Los Angeles International Airport, where the two sides put an end to their recent war of words and pledged cooperation and cooperation in rebuilding efforts.
Then, aboard Marine One, we flew over the ruins of the Palisades fire, offered our condolences to the homeowners who lost everything, and met with firefighters who have been fighting the blaze 24 hours a day for weeks. I left to do so.
It was the first time Trump had seen the devastation in person, having only seen the destruction on TV.
“I don’t think you realize how rough it is and how devastating it is until you see it. I didn’t realize it,” the president said at a roundtable with state and local leaders. “It’s a disaster. I can’t believe it. It’s really incineration.”
President Trump has never wavered in his disdain for California’s leaders, even warning that there are conditions on federal aid, saying, “We have to work together to really solve this problem.” ” he said.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in a news conference after touring the Pacific Palisades area affected by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefel) Vine)
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was among local leaders who took part in Friday’s discussion at the Los Angeles Fire Station in Pacific Palisades. She thanked President Trump for attending immediately after the inauguration and pledging to help communities rebuild.
“We are 100 percent committed to rebuilding this district again,” Bass said. “We’re rushing it. We absolutely need your help. We need the federal government’s help.”
President Trump has said that if it were up to him, rebuilding work would begin that night, but Bass said the repopulation of the Pacific Palisades and Pasadena areas would include forms of hazardous waste that would take weeks to remove. He reaffirmed that there are still serious risks to rebuilding.
The president didn’t seem too impressed by the explanation.
“What is hazardous waste?” Trump asked. “So, I think we need to define that…so that people can go to the site and start the process tonight.”
Mr Basu insisted that reconstruction work was progressing as quickly and safely as possible.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks as President Donald Trump attends a press conference in the Pacific Palisades area affected by recent wildfires in Los Angeles, Friday, January 24, 2025. (AP Photo/ Mark Schiefelbein)
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Berger echoed the mayor’s sentiments, saying the county is working to ensure there are no obstacles to the rebuilding process.
“I told the county employees, if you’re going to get in the way, go get another job because we’re all doing our best,” Berger said. “And frankly, if bureaucracy can’t get out of the way, we’ll just get rid of it.”
President Trump has promised to rescind federal permitting requirements to expedite the rebuilding process.
“We’re going to declare this a national emergency, so we can give the go-ahead right away,” Trump said. “We would like to see the local permitting process do the same.”
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after a fire briefing in the Pacific Palisades area affected by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, Friday, January 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Marc Sea) Felbein)
The president acknowledged the challenges facing residents, many of whom have lost their homes and jobs. He proposed giving bonuses based on the size and height of new homes to encourage homeowners to rebuild.
President Trump also continued his attacks on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), criticizing the agency as an “incompetent operation.” His criticism of FEMA has been a major point of emphasis since taking office, saying he believes disaster relief would be more efficient and effective if addressed at a statewide level.
“FEMA is extremely expensive and, in my opinion, largely a failure,” Trump said. “States should deal with their own problems and get funding from the federal government. That would be much better.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom (Poole) greets President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as they arrive at LAX prior to touring the damage caused by the Palisades fire on January 24, 2025.
President Trump landed at Los Angeles International Airport around 4 p.m. and immediately flew to the Pacific Palisades to inspect the damage. He did not visit the Eaton Fire in the San Gabriel Valley.
Both areas are nearly unrecognizable due to historic wildfires caused by hurricane-force winds and high temperatures.
The president has consistently criticized the state’s treatment of forests, most recently for the failure of local water systems to cope with the immense stress placed on the region by rapidly progressing fires that have exhausted fire hydrants. is focused on.
In one of his first acts as president, President Trump signed an executive order opening northern water pumps and valves to send more water to Southern California, which will help fight future fires. He said it would be a “huge benefit.”
Mr. Newsom and water management experts pushed back, arguing that there was literally no lever that could be moved to increase firefighting capacity.
Even though his feelings toward the Golden State and its elected officials are controversial and probably don’t match his desired list of conditions, President Trump has promised full federal support and agreed to rebuild. Said he would come back in the future to celebrate the effort.
“We’re going to have a big celebration soon. We’re going to be back, and we’ll be back as long as you need us, and we’ll turn things around, safe.”
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