Newsom Thanks Trump for Visiting Southern California to Assess Wildfire Damage

Newsom Thanks Trump for Visiting Southern California to Assess Wildfire Damage

Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his gratitude to President Donald Trump on Friday for traveling to Southern California to examine the destruction caused by recent wildfires. This marked their first face-to-face meeting amidst their ongoing online disagreements over wildfire management.

Trump visited Southern California to evaluate the impact of the wildfires, which burned thousands of acres, destroyed over 10,000 buildings in the Los Angeles region, and claimed nearly 30 lives.

Newsom greeted Trump on the tarmac as Air Force One landed. The two shook hands, with Trump appearing to tug Newsom’s arm in a gesture he has famously used during interactions with world leaders, according to a Fox News report.

“Thank you first for being here. It means a great deal to all of us,” Newsom told Trump during their meeting at LAX in Los Angeles just after 3 p.m. “We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your help.”

Newsom also acknowledged Trump’s prior support, stating that Trump had been there for California “during COVID. I don’t forget that.”

The meeting was their first in-person interaction since Trump assumed the presidency. Trump reciprocated Newsom’s sentiments by expressing his appreciation for the warm reception, saying, “I think you’re going to see some very good progress” on the state’s recovery efforts.

“We want to get the problem fixed,” Trump said. “It’s like you got hit by a bomb.”

In what seemed to be a pointed comment about California’s leadership, Trump added, “We’ll get it permanently fixed so it can’t happen again.”

This encounter follows weeks of Trump openly criticizing the Democratic governor after the fires devastated large parts of Los Angeles, including the exclusive Pacific Palisades area.

“Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” Trump alleged in a Jan. 8 social media post.

During his inauguration speech earlier this month, Trump specifically criticized California’s response to the wildfires ahead of his visit to survey the devastation.

Trump has repeatedly voiced his disapproval of Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, accusing them of “gross incompetence” in their handling of the disaster. He went so far as to suggest Newsom should step down from his position.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump criticized Newsom’s leadership both during the wildfires and on broader policies, including sanctuary cities.

“If you actually polled the people, they don’t want sanctuary cities,” Trump told Hannity. “But Gavin Newsom does, and these radical left politicians do. I watched Gavin Newsom try to answer that question. He looked like an idiot. He was unable to answer.”

Trump has also attributed the state’s devastating wildfires to poor forest management and Newsom’s alleged refusal to allow stormwater from Northern California to reach Southern California, factors he claims worsened the crisis.

On Thursday, Newsom signed a $2.5 billion relief package to aid recovery efforts in Los Angeles, according to Fox News.

“This is about distilling a sense of hopefulness,” Newsom said during a press briefing announcing the plan. His administration noted that they expect federal reimbursement for the disaster relief funding.

“We are glad President Trump accepted the governor’s invitation to come to Los Angeles,” a Newsom representative told Fox News Digital earlier this week. “We are glad he took our invitation to heart.”

Newsom told FOX 11 Los Angeles on Thursday that he had not heard from the White House about Friday’s visit and had not spoken to Trump since he left office in 2021. Despite this, Newsom confirmed his intention to welcome Trump upon his arrival.

“I look forward to being there on the tarmac to thank the President, welcome him,” Newsom told FOX 11. “And we’re making sure that all the resources he needs for a successful briefing are provided to him.”

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