Gavin Newsom invites Trump to tour California fire sites
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday invited President-elect Donald Trump to tour the state as it grapples with destructive fires.
Wildfires in Los Angeles County broke out in the coastal town of Pacific Palisades on Tuesday and eventually spread to Altadena near Eaton Canyon.
“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,” Newsom wrote.
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.@realDonaldTrump, as you prepare to assume the presidency once more, I invite you to come to California.
The hundreds of thousands of Americans – displaced from their homes and fearful for the future – deserve to see us all working together in their best interests, not… pic.twitter.com/R3C7cGqdBh
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 10, 2025
As the fires grew Tuesday night, Newsom canceled a trip to Washington, D.C.
During a press conference this week, Trump criticized the governor’s leadership on water management policies, saying he had attempted to warn Newsom about what he called mismanagement.
“You’d have tremendous water up there. They sent it out to the Pacific because they’re trying to protect a tiny little fish, which is, in other areas, by the way, called the smelt,” Trump said. “For the sake of a smelt, they have no water. They had no water in the fire hydrants today in Los Angeles.”
On Wednesday, during an interview with CNN, Newsom promptly responded to Trump’s remarks. The governor stood in front of a burning home in Pacific Palisades and said the incoming president was attempting to “politicize” the situation.
Throughout the week, the governor has faced backlash for his response to residents. One emotional mother in the Palisades confronted him Thursday and begged for him to explain how he would help locals. While the woman could be seen pleading with him, the governor said he was on the phone with President Joe Biden before quickly saying he was unable to reach the president after trying to call him “five times.”
By Thursday, the governor faced additional pushback after California lawmakers began a special legislative session, convened by Newsom, to “Trump-proof” the state’s left-wing laws.
Newsom also on Friday requested that Biden “deal with” people allegedly spreading what he said was “misinformation” about not only the wildfires but also about how he and Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ have responded to the crisis.
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