Saturday, January 25, 2025

President Pledges Aid and Support To Victims of Wildfires

CA Gov. Welcomes The Trumps To LA

In a somber scene lighted by an orange Los Angeles sunset, President Trump walked through the ruins of Pacific Palisades on Friday, shaking hands with firefighters and speaking to a handful of residents as he took in the devastation wrought by firestorms that swept through L.A. County this month.

Leveled properties and charred trees were visible in the background as the president walked through a neighborhood of destroyed homes. Firefighters handed him a white fire helmet with No. 47 on the front and side.

The LA Times reports Trump said he was stunned by the devastation and vowed to partner with local officials to help victims.

“We have to work together to get this really worked out,” Trump said during a meeting with Los Angeles officials. “I don’t think you can realize how ... devastating it is until you see it. It’s incredible. It’s really an incineration.”

During a roundtable meeting with residents and officials on Friday evening, his tone was much more subdued. He declared a national emergency, pledged to waive or expedite any federal permits needed for rebuilding, and did not mention specific conditions for federal aid. He also said he would look into the possibility of waiving tariffs on building materials.

“I’m going to give you everything you want,” he told the group. “I’m going to give you more than any president would have ever given you.”

The trip to Los Angeles was part of a broader national disaster recovery tour. Earlier Friday, Trump visited North Carolina to inspect damage after Hurricane Helene ravaged the area in October.

Trump landed at Los Angeles International Airport midafternoon and after briefly speaking with Gov. Gavin Newsom on the tarmac, the president and First Lady Melania Trump embarked on their tour of the destruction in Pacific Palisades, surveying neighborhoods by helicopter and foot.

The president did not visit Altadena, where the Eaton fire carved a deadly and destructive path. The firestorms burned more than 16,000 structures, including many homes, and killed at least 28 people. Estimates of the cost have topped $250 billion.


Newsom thanked the president for making the trip to California.

“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,” Newsom said to Trump.

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