President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump flew to California to survey the damage following the SoCal wildfires.
Trump arrived in Air Force One on the tarmac of LAX the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 24, after previously traveling to North Carolina earlier in the day to meet with survivors of Hurricane Helene.
Gov. Gavin Newsom greeted Trump upon his arrival before taking Marine One on a tour of the areas affected by the wildfires, according to CBS News.
“Most importantly, thank you for being here,” Newsom said in his greeting to Trump. “It means a great deal to all of us — not just the folks in Palisades, the folks in Altadena that were devastated. We’re gonna need your support. We’re gonna need your help.”
Reporters asked Trump to comment on the disagreements between him and Newsom and what Trump’s support for California would look like going forward in the aftermath of the SoCal fires.
“We got to get it finished,” Trump said. “We’re looking to get something completed and the way you get it completed is to work together with the governor of the state.”
The president met with lawmakers and district officials during a roundtable in the Pacific Palisades Fire Station 69 to discuss how to move forward. Newsom was not invited to the roundtable meeting, according to FOX 11.
During the meeting, Trump said he spoke to multiple homeowners that day and they expressed concerns that rebuilding may not begin for up to 18 months.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said, “No, that will not be the case.”
“They should be able to start tonight,” Trump said, responding to the mayor.
Bass said she is concerned about residents returning to their homes because of the hazardous waste on the streets. She said she thinks residents can return to their homes within a week.
“The most important thing is for people to be safe,” Bass said.
Trump also promised during the meeting that there would be no permit problems and that federal funding would be provided. He made apparent his concern over homeowners being denied access to their properties to begin cleaning up and working towards reconstruction, according to NBC.
“I think you just need to allow the people to go on their side and start the process tonight,” Trump said.
While Trump was in North Carolina earlier in the day, Jan. 24, he repeated his strong stance on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) saying, “I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away.”
FEMA was established by Jimmy Carter in 1979, according to Forbes. FEMA’s goal is to help prepare people for potential disasters while providing states aid following a disaster. When a state receives a Presidential Disaster Declaration they work closely with state officials to coordinate a response, according to FEMA’s website.
Trump proposed that states respond to disasters to the best of their ability before receiving a reimbursement at a percentage from the federal government, according to the Washington Post.
“I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive,” Trump said to Bass and other district officials during the Friday, Jan. 24 roundtable meeting. “You’ll do it for less than half and you’re going to get a lot quicker response.”
Trump’s stance on eliminating FEMA through an executive order is sparking criticism. Michael Coen, FEMA’s chief of staff during the Biden administration, spoke against Trump’s FEMA intentions saying the president is “misinformed” on the agency and that he was “going to pick winners and losers” when handing out federal aid to states in need, according to Forbes.
However, other former FEMA officials agree with Trump’s view that getting rid of the emergency agency and giving states the ability to rebuild would be beneficial, according to Forbes.
Daniel Kaniewski worked under the last Trump administration as the second-highest-ranking official at FEMA. Kaniewski said he believes FEMA is overextended, according to the New York Times.
“The real question is how those burdens should be shared at all levels of government,” Kaniewski said.
Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) continues to be closed Westbound with various checkpoints being monitored by the U.S. Coast Guard. Late Friday afternoon traffic was backed up on PCH with residents trying to gain access to their properties in the Palisades.
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