DeSantis, longtime Newsom rival, offers help to California amid wildfires
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) offered assistance to California on Wednesday as the state grapples with severe wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area.
“Our prayers are with everyone affected by the horrific fires in Southern California,” DeSantis said in a post on social platform X. “When disaster strikes, we must come together to help our fellow Americans in any way we can."
"The state of Florida has offered help to assist the people of California in responding to these fires and in rebuilding communities that have been devastated," he wrote.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency Tuesday as the Pacific Palisades wildfire grew, forcing thousands to evacuate. The fire has grown to almost 3,000 acres with zero containment, according to Cal Fire.
Additionally, two other fires, the Eaton and Hurst fires, have continued to spread.
Both governors are seen as rising stars in their respective parties. DeSantis and Newsom have a rivalry going back to the coronavirus pandemic.
California has long been viewed as a quintessentially blue state, while Florida has become the epicenter of the Republican Party in recent years. In 2023, the two came face to face for a Fox News debate as DeSantis was running in the Republican presidential primary.
Despite their political and ideological differences, Newsom has also offered assistance to Florida when it faced its own natural disasters. In October, the Golden State leader deployed a number of California first responders to Florida as Hurricane Milton ravaged the state’s west coast.