SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Governor Gavin Newsom invited President-elect Donald Trump to survey the breathtaking damage caused by the wildfires in Southern California, and called on the new president to meet with the first responders, firefighters and “Americans” living through the catastrophe had struck.
“In the spirit of this great country, we cannot politicize human tragedies or spread disinformation from the sidelines,” Newsom wrote in a letter to Trump on Friday. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans – displaced from their homes and fearful of the future – deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a speedy recovery and rebuild.”
The Los Angeles fires have killed at least 10 people and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and businesses. They have also dramatically accelerated the feud between the incoming president and the ambitious California Democrat, with Trump ridiculing the governor’s performance, advocating sweeping policy changes on water and using the fires to once again portray his state as failing.
During Trump’s first term, he demanded policy concessions in exchange for federal disaster relief funding to California — actions that were front and center for Newsom when he successfully called on the Biden administration this week to issue a disaster declaration. Biden later promised that the federal government would cover all fire management and debris removal costs for the next six months.
“We are grateful that President Biden quickly approved our major disaster declaration – a strong indication of the partnership California needs and values with every federal government,” Newsom wrote to Trump.
“However, the threat to lives and property remains acute. Stronger than normal winds of up to 75 miles per hour are still forecast over the coming days, with more extreme winds likely to be expected early next week, with no change to dry conditions.”
A Trump official downplayed the idea that Trump would withhold federal disaster money and said he would come through with aid to blue states. The Trump official said the president-elect “has always expressed a willingness to work with anyone, especially when it is in the best interest of the American people.”
Trump’s office did not immediately respond to Newsom’s invitation.
