Donald Trump has departed the White House for his first trip since his inauguration, with an itinerary that includes a visit to Los Angeles to survey fire damage and get an update on the recovery efforts in the Palisades. But one name is not on the list of elected officials scheduled to attend a fire […]Donald Trump has departed the White House for his first trip since his inauguration, with an itinerary that includes a visit to Los Angeles to survey fire damage and get an update on the recovery efforts in the Palisades. But one name is not on the list of elected officials scheduled to attend a fire
Donald Trump has departed the White House for his first trip since his inauguration, with an itinerary that includes a visit to Los Angeles to survey fire damage and get an update on the recovery efforts in the Palisades.
But one name is not on the list of elected officials scheduled to attend a fire emergency briefing: California Governor Gavin Newsom. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is on the list, as are a number of congressional representatives, including Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), whose district covers areas hardest hit by the disaster.
On Thursday, Newsom said that he planned to be on the tarmac to greet Trump, expected to arrive around 2:30 p.m. PT.
“I look forward to being there on the tarmac to thank the president, welcome him, and we’re making sure that all the resources he needs for a successful briefing are provided to him,” Newsom told reporters. But he said that he had not had any contact with the White House but he was “grateful that [Trump] took our invitation to heart.”
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We’ve reached out to the governor’s office about the plans, and will update. But a source said that Newsom’s team had been blindsided when the president’s details of his visit were announced this morning.
There were reports that the White House invited Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), but they each told Politico that they could not attend because of the Senate schedule, with confirmation votes on Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth expected later today.
Before departing, Trump told reporters that he was unaware that Schiff — a frequent target of his attacks — had been invited. “Is he going? I don’t know. I mean, I really don’t know. If he’s going to be there, it would be cheaper, but I didn’t invite him. Somebody did.”
Trump’s schedule includes a neighborhood tour and an emergency briefing.
Trump is first traveling to North Carolina to survey recovery efforts from last fall’s Hurricane Helene.
Trump and Newsom have a long history of sparring. The president has referred to the governor as “Newscum,” while, shortly after Trump’s election, Newsom launched a legislative resistance effort to fund legal challenges to federal action.
The president has continued to blame Newsom for the fires, claiming that it “could have been put out if they let the water flow but they didn’t let the water flow and they still haven’t, for whatever reason.”
But Newsom told reporters on Thursday that “it is very damaging when people believe such misinformation. I don’t mean it in a malign sense. Maybe the president just doesn’t know that there’s not a spigot that can be turned to solve all the water problems that he alleges exist that don’t exist when it comes to the state water system here in California.”
City and state officials are counting on massive federal aid for recovery efforts, and Trump has talked of rebuilding Los Angeles as the 2028 Olympics approach. But he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity this week that he would demand that he doesn’t “think we should give California anything until they let water flow down into their system.” The governor’s office has called the claim that he refused to sign a water restoration declaration “pure fiction.”
Per the White House schedule, Trump will tour Pacific Palisades at mid-afternoon, accompanied by Forst Lady Melania Trump; Jeff Brown, chief of Los Angeles Fire Department Station 69; Jason Hing, chief deputy of emergency service, Los Angeles Fire Department; and affected homeowners Emily Bianchi and Make and Gaby Shaw.
The president and first lady then will attend an emergency briefing, also in the Palisades, along with Ric Grenell, the presidential envoy for special missions; Bass; Rep. Jay Olbernolte (R-CA); Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA); Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA); Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA); Rep. Young Kim (R-CA); and Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA). In addition to Sherman, the only other congressional Democrat on the list is Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA).
Alosi expected are Randy Moore, chief of the U.S. Forest Service; Los Angeles County Superviser Kathryn Barger; and Ed Ring, director of water and energy policy for the California Policy Center.
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