Trump Overrides California’s Inept Leadership, Puts EPA’s Zeldin in Charge of Palisades Fire Rebuilding Permits

In a decisive move to cut through the bureaucratic red tape strangling wildfire recovery and rebuilding efforts in Southern California, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he is placing EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in charge of expediting permits for rebuilding in areas devastated by the Palisades Fire. 

The decision comes as a direct rebuke to Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, whose handling of the disaster has been marred by delays, mismanagement, and outright incompetence.

During a White House press briefing, Trump lambasted Newsom and Bass for their failure to act swiftly, declaring the situation a “national emergency.”

“I am putting Lee Zeldin in charge of the permits. I think we are going to override local authorities” Trump stated. “I said, everyone gets immediate approval and a 10 percent bonus, if they want, for all the suffering they’ve been caused.” 

President Trump emphasized, ” I don’t want a big section of low income housing. That’s not the American dream.”

WATCH: 

🚨 HOLY CRAP! President Trump just pummeled Gavin Newsom for causing a NATIONAL EMERGENCY for the fire victims — the feds are now taking over permitting and rebuilding

"I am putting Lee Zeldin in charge of the permits!"

"I said, everyone gets immediate approval and a 10% bonus!… pic.twitter.com/2RzhnyBbNj

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 28, 2026

Trump’s frustration was palpable as he accused California Democrats of perpetual inaction. “I think we’re going to override the local authorities because they’re never going to have it,” he said. “And when I was told that there’s a provision where you can override the local authority to get things done, in case of — because it’s — really, to me, it’s a national emergency…and they’ll still vote Democrat! But I just want them to get int their houses.” 

The Palisades Fire, which ravaged Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and surrounding areas starting in January 2025, displaced thousands and destroyed hundreds of homes. Despite promises of rapid recovery, residents have endured months of stalled progress under Newsom’s administration. 

As the California Globe has extensively reported, Newsom’s boasts of a “historic pace” in debris removal have proven hollow, with locals decrying that “NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE” six months after his initial pledges.

Further exposing the governor’s shortcomings, Newsom’s executive orders on wildfire prevention and home hardening have been criticized as burdensome regulations that do little to address the root causes, such as inadequate water infrastructure in fire-prone regions.

Meanwhile, allegations have surfaced that $100 million in FireAid relief funds were diverted to nonprofits rather than directly aiding victims, fueling accusations of politicized cronyism.

Mayor Bass has faced equally scathing scrutiny for her absenteeism during the crisis. While flames engulfed Los Angeles neighborhoods, Bass was on a controversial trip to Ghana, only returning amid mounting public outrage. The California Globe detailed how her delayed response and subsequent cover-ups, including deleted text messages related to the fire, have eroded public trust. 

A poll conducted in March 2025 revealed that only 19 percent of L.A. residents approved of her handling of the disaster, with critics pointing to her prioritization of international jaunts over local emergencies.

Bass’s decision to fire LAFD Chief Kristen Crowley, ostensibly for mishandling the response, was widely seen as a scapegoating tactic to deflect from her own failures. Even the Los Angeles Fire Department publicly contradicted Bass’s claims about her knowledge of the impending wildfire risks, further highlighting the chaos in City Hall.

Trump’s intervention, enabled by federal provisions for overriding local authority in emergencies, aims to fast-track rebuilding by bypassing California’s notoriously slow permitting processes. The 10 percent bonus incentive is designed to encourage rapid reconstruction while ensuring developments align with Trump’s emphasis on preserving high-end communities without injecting unwanted low-income projects and related zoning mandates as designed by the Obama Administration.

With Zeldin at the helm, the EPA will now streamline environmental reviews and approvals, potentially shaving months or years off recovery timelines.

While Newsom and Bass have yet to respond publicly to Trump’s remarks, their track record suggests more excuses than action. As the California Globe has consistently exposed, their leadership has turned a natural disaster into a man-made quagmire of bureaucracy and neglect. President’s Trump’s decisive action may finally bring relief to fire victims who have suffered long enough under single-party, Democrat rule.