California Democrats get a taste of new clashes with Trump as wildfires rage

CNN-

President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday launched a new round of criticism aimed at Democrats for their efforts to bring Southern California's wildfires under control, calling rival liberal leaders incompetent witnesses to one of the worst disasters in the history of our country.

Trump's post on Truth Social is the latest in a series of attacks by the president-elect and his allies against California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Democrats already face tough questions from their voters and other elected officials, including those in their own party and, increasingly, from each other.

But statements from Trump and his supporters, like billionaire Elon Musk, many of whom mislead or cite erroneous reports, set the stage for coming fights between the president-elect and liberal cities and states before his inauguration week next. This push-and-pull recalls some of the awkward, high-stakes interactions between Trump and top Democrats at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when liberal-leaning city and state leaders often took their political shots at concerns. about alienating the first Trump in the White House and delaying federal support.

Newsom is no stranger to clashing with Trump, but the crisis gripping Los Angeles now presents a unique and more pressing challenge. The governor, considered a potential presidential candidate in 2028, expressed his frustration with Trump's rhetoric, but he also invited him to come and see the damage, to meet the Americans affected by these fires, to see himself the devastation and to join me and others in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who are risking their lives.

The softer approach follows a more pointed response from the California leader during an interview last week with CNN's Anderson Cooper, during which he seemed deeply frustrated by Trump's comments.

People are literally fleeing. People lost their lives. Children have lost their schools. Families completely torn apart and churches burned, Newsom said. This guy wanted to politicize it.

He paused again, then added: I have a lot of thoughts and I know what I want to say.

I won't do it.

Republicans have been less hesitant to blame California, particularly Bass, who was in Ghana on an official visit when the first fire broke out in the Pacific Palisades. They are increasingly seeking to use the disaster as a cudgel against Democrats, particularly against leaders in big cities and liberal-voting states.

The GOP critics' argument boils down to a claim most often made with little or no real evidence that Democrats were blind to the risks of a catastrophic wildfire and ill-prepared to fight it because of their focus on the promotion of liberal ideological policies.

The Democrats' far-left policies in California are literally burning us. Stop voting for those who do not use common sense when it comes to water management and forestry policies. I'm pissed. You should be too, Richard Grenell, Trump's new envoy for special missions, published on X last week.

Musk retweeted the post, which has become something of a rallying cry from many national Republicans, particularly Trump's most aggressive MAGA allies, many of whom have attacked Newsom and Bass on issues of land management and water, often exaggerating or in some cases fabricating damning details about a mix of scientific and bureaucratic processes.

Both Newsom and Bass are clearly angered by the criticism and eager to fight back, but also realize that in just over a week they will be looking to the president-elect for immediate and long-term funding. a rebuilding process that lasted years.

The issue has even penetrated reliable pro-Trump media outlets like Fox News.

Vice President-elect JD Vance was directly asked in a network interview Sunday morning whether the new administration might withhold aid to California, a state that Kamala Harris won in the 2024 presidential election by more than 20 percentage points, or about 3.2 million. votes.

President Trump cares about all Americans, Vance responded, turning to criticism of President Joe Biden's response. (Trump) is the president of all Americans, and I think he intends for FEMA and other federal responses to be much better and much better informed about what's happening on the ground.

The uncertainty surrounding Trump's plans for Los Angeles after he returns to office in eight days has been a topic of conversation at recent news conferences with city leaders. Bass said Sunday that while she has not spoken directly to the president-elect, there has been constructive engagement with some members of his new administration.

I joined in inviting the new president to come to Los Angeles. I joined the supervisor and the governor. I spoke directly with the new administration yesterday, Bass said. It was a good call.

Wind-driven firestorms ravaging historic seaside neighborhoods; the Hollywood Hills; and, further inland, San Gabriel Valley communities like Altadena and Pasadena resulted in evacuation orders for an estimated more than 100,000 Angelenos, destroyed homes, and, on Sunday, killed 16 people, according to authorities. Disaster relief from Washington, D.C., where Biden is staying after canceling a trip to Italy, is being deployed to the region and Bass said Friday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is committed to recovering every penny of the city ​​firefighting expenses.

As Democrats struggle to find a balance with Trump, a California Republican little known outside of Los Angeles has become perhaps the most skilled communicator, to the public and to Trump, of all those who face the press and the cameras information every few hours.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, a Republican, has been acclaimed by some city residents for her dispatches and updates on local and national news programs. On Saturday, she did what many Democrats are loath to do by dressing up a request for help from Trump in terms of congratulations and flattery.

In a letter, Barger first praised Trump for his 2018 response to the Woolsey Fire, which struck the Santa Monica area during his first term. After formally inviting Trump to visit affected areas in Los Angeles, Barger made clear the political benefits of engaging with local leaders.

In pictures: Wildfires spread across Los Angeles County

By accepting this invitation, Mr. President-elect, you will join us in supporting our citizens and thanking our heroic first responders, who risked their own lives to save others, she wrote. We also ask that you, as President, stand with the people of Los Angeles County as we move toward rebuilding. Your presence would be deeply felt and appreciated.

A day after sending the letter, Barger offered a pledge to Angelenos affected by the fires.

I'm going to go all the way with you, Barger said at a news conference. We will not stop using all resources to fight existing fires. Displaced residents will be served at the highest level as we address your housing, wellness, healthcare and economic needs.

Democrats have sent similar messages to the city and fire victims, but those statements have been overshadowed in some cases, notably in the past 48 hours, by thinly veiled efforts to avoid responsibility for the shortcomings of the government response.

Newsom, in an interview published Saturday with the liberal Pod Save America newspaper, pointed the finger at local leaders, suggesting he was not given clear answers about the situation from the start.

I'm the governor of California and I want to know the answer. I have this question, I can't tell you, from how many people, what happened? in my own team, what happened? » said Newsom.

He added: “I'll be honest with you, I haven't gotten any clear answers.

On Sunday, Newsom sought to regain momentum by signing an executive order suspending certain construction requirements under state environmental laws to help fire victims rebuild more quickly.

California leads the nation in environmental management. I'm not going to give up on it, but one thing I won't give in to is delay, Newsom told NBC News, promising that regulatory red tape would not slow down the recovery process.

The governor also called for an independent investigation into local water supply problems after reports that the Santa Ynez Reservoir was empty when the wildfires first struck, further hampering efforts to fight the fires in the Pacific Palisades.

California Sen. Adam Schiff supported the proposal and, in an interview with ABC News on Sunday, suggested the state go further and have an independent commission review of the whole thing.

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