Newsom Urges Trump to Tour LA Fire Devastation, Avoid Politicizing the Tragedy
The California Democrat extended an invitation to the president-elect on Friday, encouraging him to visit Los Angeles to witness the fire damage in person.
TroibNews 
SACRAMENTO, California — Governor Gavin Newsom has extended an invitation to President-elect Donald Trump to witness the significant devastation caused by the wildfires in Southern California. He urged the incoming president to engage with first responders, firefighters, and “Americans” impacted by the disaster.
“In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy 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 for the future — deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild.”
The wildfires in Los Angeles have resulted in at least 10 fatalities and have destroyed over 10,000 homes and businesses. This disaster has intensified the ongoing conflict between the incoming president and Newsom, a prominent California Democrat, with Trump criticizing the governor’s management and advocating for significant policy changes related to water, using the chaos to depict the state as failing.
During his first term, Trump insisted on policy changes in return for federal disaster relief funding to California, a factor that was on Newsom's mind as he successfully sought a disaster declaration from the Biden administration this week. Biden subsequently pledged that the federal government would cover all fire management and debris removal costs for the next six months.
“We are thankful that President Biden has swiftly approved our major disaster declaration — a strong indication of the partnership California needs and appreciates with any federal administration,” Newsom wrote to Trump.
“However, the threat to lives and property remains acute. Higher-than-normal winds of up to 70 miles per hour are still forecast for the next several days, and more extreme winds are likely early next week, with no change to dry conditions.”
A Trump official minimized the notion that Trump would withhold federal disaster assistance, asserting that he would support aid to California. The official stated that the president-elect “has always expressed a willingness to work with anybody, especially when it’s in the interest of the American people.”
Trump’s office did not provide an immediate response to Newsom’s invitation.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
“In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy 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 for the future — deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild.”
The wildfires in Los Angeles have resulted in at least 10 fatalities and have destroyed over 10,000 homes and businesses. This disaster has intensified the ongoing conflict between the incoming president and Newsom, a prominent California Democrat, with Trump criticizing the governor’s management and advocating for significant policy changes related to water, using the chaos to depict the state as failing.
During his first term, Trump insisted on policy changes in return for federal disaster relief funding to California, a factor that was on Newsom's mind as he successfully sought a disaster declaration from the Biden administration this week. Biden subsequently pledged that the federal government would cover all fire management and debris removal costs for the next six months.
“We are thankful that President Biden has swiftly approved our major disaster declaration — a strong indication of the partnership California needs and appreciates with any federal administration,” Newsom wrote to Trump.
“However, the threat to lives and property remains acute. Higher-than-normal winds of up to 70 miles per hour are still forecast for the next several days, and more extreme winds are likely early next week, with no change to dry conditions.”
A Trump official minimized the notion that Trump would withhold federal disaster assistance, asserting that he would support aid to California. The official stated that the president-elect “has always expressed a willingness to work with anybody, especially when it’s in the interest of the American people.”
Trump’s office did not provide an immediate response to Newsom’s invitation.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
