President Trump Surveys Wildfire Damage In Los Angeles, Meets With Lawmakers On Recovery

President Donald Trump visited Los Angeles on Friday, flying in and viewing the destruction of the Pacific Palisades fire from Marine One, and meeting with several state and local leaders about wildfire recovery.

Before Trump’s visit, questions lingered over what he would do once on the ground in Los Angeles. Several lawmakers, including Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) bowed out of the trip on Friday, saying that they needed to attend confirmation votes for Trump appointees. Other local leaders also refused to meet Trump on Friday over numerous immigration executive orders he signed earlier in the week.

Prior to leaving North Carolina earlier on Friday, viewing destruction left by Hurricane Helene, Trump said that there would now be two major conditions placed on California in order to receive federal funds: New voter ID rules and the release of water from Northern California to the rest of the state. These conditions, plus Trump hinting that FEMA would either be overhauled or eliminated, caused many lawmakers set to meet Trump, like Governor Gavin Newsom, to release statements against the plans, potentially derailing planned visits with lawmakers.

However, any ill-will was put aside when President Trump landed at LAX. Governor Newsom greeted him on the tarmac outside of Air Force One, with both Trump and Newsom cordial and even hugging despite years of feuding between the two.

“I appreciate the governor coming out and meeting me,” said Trump to Newsom. “It’s like you got hit by a bomb.”

“It means a great deal to all of us,” said Newsom in response. “We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your help. You were there for us during Covid, I don’t forget that, and I have all the expectations that we’ll be able to work together to get this speedy recovery. Thank you first for being here.”

During a short meeting with the press, the two continued on good terms.

“We’ve got to get it done,” added Trump. “Tremendous numbers of lives have been affected — a lot of real estate has been affected. Nobody’s ever probably seen anything like this. You can almost say, since the Second World War, would you think of it? I mean, nothing like this has happened, and we’re going to get it permanently fixed so it can’t happen again and again.

“We’re working to get something completed. He’s the governor of this state, and we’re going to get it completed. They’re going to need a lot of federal help. Unless you don’t need any?”

“We’re going to need a lot of federal help,” responded Newsom.

The President then traveled on Marine One to survey the damage of the Palisades Fire over Malibu and the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, multiple lawmakers, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA), and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger welcomed the president and announced that they would be meeting the President at a Palisades round table later in the day.

“I welcome President Trump to the Los Angeles area during one of the most critical times in our region’s history,” Barger said in a statement on Friday. “His visit is important to me. I’m laser focused on doing everything in my power to leverage collaboration between federal, state, and local leaders to bring meaningful relief to those who have lost so much.

“The Eaton Fire has left an indelible mark on our community, displacing families, destroying homes, and challenging our resilience. I will take this opportunity to personally advocate for increased federal support to ensure survivors receive the assistance they need to rebuild their houses, their businesses, and move forward.

“I deeply appreciate the ongoing efforts of our local first responders, community organizations, and volunteers who have been on the front lines, providing aid and comfort to those affected. I look forward to discussing with President Trump how we can enhance these efforts and ensure our community has the resources to recover fully.”

Following the aerial tour of the Palisades Fire, as well as a ground tour with his wife Melania, President Trump joined the fire briefing with Bass, Barger and others in the Palisades.

“You don’t realize how rough it is, how bad it is until you see it,” said Trump, referencing his aerial viewing. “It is devastation. It is an incineration.”

While Trump said earlier in the day there would be conditions on federal funding, he announced that all federal permits for rebuilding would either be waived or expedited, noting how important California is to the United States.

“There can be no Golden Age without the Golden State,” said Trump. “The federal government is standing behind you, 100%. I’m gonna be the president to help you fix it. We’re going to waive all federal permits. Because a federal permit can take 10 years. We don’t want to take 10 days.”

While Mayor Bass and others were as cordial as Newsom was earlier in the day, a few California politicians did press Trump on a few issues. In particular, Congresswoman Judy Chu (D) urged the President to likewise visit the site of the Eaton Fire in Altadena.

“I just want to make sure that you remember the people in Altadena and Pasadena,” urged Chu. “And that you can come there and see how terrible the devastation has been there.”

Following the roundtable, Trump left for LAX, departing for Las Vegas.

“The visit went better than expected,” explained LA County pollster Manny Rodriguez to the Globe on Friday. “He said a lot of kind things about California and even threw some bones residents’ way with permitting. As expected, everyone was cordial with each other, and seeing the destruction first hand seemed to have affected him too.

“Now, Newsom and Trump will be at it again soon enough, especially over those federal conditions for relief funds. Bass, who was pretty quiet, will also be facing a rough time coming up. But, at least for this afternoon, everyone was on the same page. They want recovery and they want it fast.”