Gov. Gavin Newsom invites Donald Trump to survey California wildfire damage
Gov. Gavin Newsom invited Donald Trump to California on Friday after the president-elect spent days criticizing the governor for his response to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles that have claimed 11 lives and destroyed or damaged 10,000 buildings.
In a letter he posted to X (formerly Twitter), Newsom invited Trump to “meet with the Americans affected by these fires, see the devastation firsthand and join me and others in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who are putting their lives on the line.”
As of Friday afternoon, there were six wildfires raging across Ventura and Los Angeles counties, forcing thousands to evacuate, according to Cal Fire.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Newsom, calling him “Newscum” and falsely blaming the loss of life and property on the governor not signing a “water restoration declaration” that he said would move water from the North State into Southern California.
The governor’s office debunked those claims as “pure fiction,” and thanked President Joe Biden for declaring the fires a federal disaster and pledging the federal government to cover 180 days’ worth of debris removal and other cleanup costs. The state launched a website Friday where wildfire victims can apply for federal relief aid.
Newsom has alternated between portraying his administration as a bulwark against Trump’s hardline stances on immigration and climate change and offering to cooperate with the former president when needed.
Steven Cheung, Trump’s chief spokesman, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Two of the ongoing fires, the Palisades and Eaton fires, are now ranked in the top 20 most destructive fires in state history. State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has ordered a one-year moratorium on home insurance policy cancellations in ZIP codes near or within the areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Newsom and Trump previously worked together in 2018 as state and federal officials responded to the Camp Fire in Paradise and Woolsey Fire in Malibu, which the governor mentioned in his letter.
“In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines,” Newsom wrote. “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 safe rebuild.”
This story was originally published January 10, 2025 at 3:04 PM.
