President Trump and Melania Trump are in Southern California on Friday. We look at the devastation of recent wildfires and discuss relief efforts amid a war of words with Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The president is scheduled to head to the Palisades fire area and take an air route and walking tour before landing at Los Angeles International Airport Friday afternoon. Trump is also expected to visit the fire department and participate in a roundtable discussion.
US President-elect Donald Trump arrives for the inauguration ceremony in the Rotunda of the US Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The visit comes amid threats from Trump to withhold federal relief funds unless the state changes its water management policies. The president has accused state and local officials of mismanaging water resources and firefighting efforts.
“I think Los Angeles has changed everything because Los Angeles is going to need a lot of money. I don’t think we should give California anything until they have flowing water…”.
Accuweather estimates damages and economic losses of more than $250 billion.
Aerial view of a utility truck parked near a house destroyed by the Palisades fire as wildfires cause damage and loss in the LA area on January 13, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Governor Newsom says Trump’s criticism is wrong. “Maybe the president doesn’t know that there is no spigot he can turn to solve all the water problems that he claims don’t exist, as it relates to Southern California’s state water system.” he he said.
Trump and other conservatives also repeated decades-old allegations promoted by environmentalists that poor forest management led to larger and more destructive wildfires.
Newsom has said that land management is not entirely under his control, with 57% of the state’s land being managed by the federal government, while only 3% is managed by the state.
At least 27 people died in the fire, which erupted on January 7 as hurricane-strength Santa Ana winds swept Southern California.
Questions remain about the cause of both fires and whether budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department affected its response.
Newsom has said he would be willing to meet Trump on the runway when he touches down at LAX, but it’s unclear whether that will happen.
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