Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his gratitude to President Donald Trump on Friday for his visit to Southern California to evaluate the destruction caused by recent wildfires. This visit marked their first in-person meeting since the commencement of their ongoing dispute regarding wildfire management.
During his tour of Southern California, Trump assessed the extensive damage inflicted by the wildfires, which ravaged thousands of acres, obliterated over 10,000 structures in the Los Angeles region, and resulted in nearly 30 fatalities.
Newsom welcomed Trump on the tarmac as Air Force One arrived. The two leaders exchanged handshakes, with Trump seemingly giving Newsom’s arm a slight tug—a characteristic gesture he has employed in interactions with global leaders, as reported by Fox News.
“Thank you for being here. It is greatly appreciated by all of us,” Newsom stated to Trump following their meeting at LAX shortly after 3 p.m. “We will require your support and assistance.”
Newsom further acknowledged Trump’s previous support for California during the COVID pandemic, remarking, “I do not forget that.”
This encounter represented the first direct interaction between Newsom and Trump since Trump assumed the presidency on Monday. Trump conveyed his gratitude for Newsom’s reception, stating, “I believe you will witness significant progress in fire recovery.”
“We aim to resolve the issue,” Trump remarked. “It’s as if a bomb has struck.”
In what seemed to be a critique of Newsom and other California Democrats for their lack of preparedness for the catastrophic fires, he added, “We will ensure it is permanently addressed to prevent recurrence.”
This meeting occurred amidst Trump’s vocal criticism of the Democratic governor in the weeks following the devastating fires that decimated entire areas of Los Angeles, including the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
“Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” Trump asserted in a social media post dated January 8.
During his inaugural address, Trump expressed criticism regarding California’s management of the Los Angeles wildfires prior to his visit to assess the damage on Friday. He has been vocal in his dissatisfaction with the responses from Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, labeling their efforts as “gross incompetence” and even suggesting that Newsom should consider resigning from his position.
In his first televised interview since returning to the White House, Trump engaged with Fox News host Sean Hannity, condemning Newsom’s leadership in the context of the catastrophic wildfires and his endorsement of sanctuary cities. “If you were to conduct a poll, the public would oppose sanctuary cities,” Trump remarked to Hannity. “However, Gavin Newsom supports them, along with these radical left politicians. I observed Gavin Newsom struggle to respond to that question; he appeared quite foolish and was unable to provide a coherent answer.”
Trump contended that poor forest management practices and Newsom’s alleged refusal to permit stormwater from Northern California to flow to Southern California were significant factors contributing to one of the most devastating wildfires in the state’s history.
On Thursday, Newsom approved a relief package allocating $2.5 billion for recovery efforts related to the Los Angeles wildfires, as reported by Fox. “This initiative aims to foster a sense of hope,” the governor stated during a press conference to announce the funding. Newsom’s administration indicated that the state expects to receive reimbursement from the federal government for the disaster relief expenditures.
A representative from Newsom’s office conveyed to Fox News Digital earlier this week, “We are pleased that President Trump accepted the governor’s invitation to visit Los Angeles. We appreciate that he took our invitation seriously.” Newsom informed FOX 11 Los Angeles on Thursday that he had not received any communication from the White House concerning Friday’s visit and had not spoken with Trump since he left office in 2021. Nevertheless, Newsom confirmed his intention to meet with Trump upon his arrival.
