Rick Caruso Says Trump, Newsom Have to Put Aside Beef for L.A. Fire Relief​on January 23, 2025 at 5:43 pm

Rick Caruso is calling on President Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom to put aside their petty political beef and band together to help folks reeling from the Los Angeles wildfires.

The billionaire developer joined us on “TMZ Live” Thursday and we asked him how Newsom should approach Trump’s upcoming visit, seeing as how the two politicians absolutely detest each other.

Rick says Trump and Newsom need to remember they’re both public servants, and the crisis in L.A. demands they work together and find common ground to help the thousands of Angelenos who have lost their homes and jobs.

Caruso’s one of the titans of business in this town, and he tells us L.A. needs both men to help with the massive rebuild … adding, Trump and Newsom should be on notice no one wants to hear about their political grievances or differences in this situation.

Trump’s already threatened to withhold federal aid from California, so things are definitely tense ahead of Friday’s visit.

Rick says Trump and Newsom need to remember they’re public servants and he’s hopeful they “rise above and do the right thing.”

Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass are both facing intense criticism for the response to the wildfires, and there’s a movement in the city to recall Bass … so we asked Rick if he would consider another run for office. He lost to Bass in the 2022 mayoral election.

Caruso says he’s more focused on rebuilding the Pacific Palisades and Altadena — two areas decimated by fire — and he tells us what it’s going to take to get people back in their homes and what the future of L.A. looks like.