Newsom, local officials invite Trump to tour Los Angeles wildfire damage
As President-elect Donald Trump criticizes the government’s handling of the wildfire crisis in Los Angeles, local and statewide officials are openly inviting him to come tour the devastation himself.
“The fires are still raging in L.A. The incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social page late Saturday night. “Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?”
Criticism of California and L.A.’s preparation for such a crisis isn’t just from the right side of the aisle — Gov. Gavin Newsom himself has called for an investigation into low water pressure on some hydrants and low water supply from the Santa Ynez Reservoir.
But Newsom claims that Trump’s attacks come from a place of political malice rather than true care for the people of L.A.
“People are literally fleeing. People have lost their lives. Kids lost their schools. Families completely torn asunder. Churches burned down,” Newsom told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “This guy wanted to politicize it.”
The Newsom-Trump feud dates back to the President-elect’s first term in the White House. More recently, the governor ordered a special legislative session to “Trump-proof” California shortly after his election win.
Newsom, who Trump degradingly calls “Gavin Newscum,” posted an open letter to X on Friday, inviting the President-elect to tour the fire-ravaged areas of Los Angeles County, such as the Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
“As you prepare to assume the presidency once more, I invite you to come to California again — 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,” the letter reads in part.
“In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines,” Newsom continued.
The governor isn’t the only government official inviting Trump to tour the wreckage.
“In my years in the county, I have seen time and time again how essential of a partner the federal government is when responding to an emergency and helping our communities recover,” L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said during a news conference on Sunday. “I look forward to welcoming President-elect Trump to our communities so he can see the desperate need but also the incredible opportunity of hope and perseverance for our impacted neighbors.”
Barger said she too sent Trump a letter inviting him to tour evacuation areas.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said she’s communicated with representatives of the incoming administration, and claims she’ll have more to share on the matter shortly.