(The Hill) – President Donald Trump on Friday said he wants to see Los Angeles take two actions in California before providing federal aid as it tackles wildfires.
“I want to see two things in Los Angeles: Voter ID. I want to see people have the opportunity to vote and I want to see water released and coming down to Los Angeles and across the state,” Trump told reporters up north. Carolina, where he was touring hurricane recovery efforts.
“Those are two things. Then I’ll be the greatest president California has ever seen,” he added.
Trump is scheduled to visit Los Angeles on Friday to see damage from the fires and meet with local officials.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (d)’s office responded to Trump’s comments with a fact check on voting laws, noting that several other states do not require voter ID. Newsom’s office also said it can now pump as much water as possible under Trump’s first-term policies.
“Conditioning aid for American citizens is wrong,” the governor’s office posted on social media.
Lawmakers are debating how to advance federal aid to Los Angeles, where wildfires have killed dozens of people and destroyed communities.
WATCH LIVE: Trump speaks during trip to California wildfire zone
Republicans constrained aid to increasing or changing the debt ceiling in California’s firefighting policy. Democrats fiercely oppose the conditions on federal aid to Los Angeles, arguing it sets a dangerous precedent.
Trump has stuck to his claim that California officials could provide additional water flow from the northern part of the state to Los Angeles by simply flipping a valve. But experts have been pushed back, arguing that the state’s water supply problem is not that simple and has dried up in recent weeks due to a surge in demand.
The president has also pushed for years to implement voter identification laws amid unproven claims of widespread election fraud.
California passed a law effective in 2026 that prevents municipalities from requiring voter ID at elections.
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