Wave Wire Services
PACIFIC PALISADES — President Donald Trump toured the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades Jan. 24 and vowed to “open the coffers” of the federal government and waive federal permits to expedite the rebuilding process.
“I don’t think you can realize how rough it is, how devastating it is until you see it,” Trump said of the fire damage. “I didn’t realize. I saw a lot of bad things on television, but the extent of it, the size of it. We flew over it. … It is devastation.
“It’s incredible, it’s really an incineration. Even some of the chimneys came down. When you have chimneys come down you know that’s pretty hot stuff and a lot of them were down.”
Trump, who had blamed what he calls faulty water management for contributing to California wildfires and suggested conditioning federal recovery dollars on changes in state political policies, met with local, state and congressional leaders following the tour and assured them “the federal government is standing behind you 100%.”
He noted that the fires are “already the most expensive natural disaster, they say, in American history. That’s pretty amazing.”
Trump vowed to “essentially waive all federal permits,” noting that the permitting process can often hold up projects for 10 years, and he asked local authorities for assurances that local permitting also be expedited or waived — something Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass assured Trump was already being done.
Trump noted that he is a property owner in California and is committed to helping the fire-affected communities rebuild.
“There can be no Golden Age without the Golden State, it’s a great state,” he said. “It’s a fantastic place. We’re going to have a big celebration soon, we’re going to come back, come back as much as you need, and we’re going to turn it around. We’re going to open the coffers. You know, America wants this to be taken care of.”
Trump was greeted at Los Angeles International Airport by longtime political nemesis Gov. Gavin Newsom. The pair shook hands as the president deplaned from Air Force One with the first lady, and they spoke privately before addressing a group of reporters.
Asked about his longtime political disagreements with the Democratic governor, the Republican Trump tried to offer assurances that the pair would work in tandem.
“We’re looking to get something completed, and the way you get it completed is to work together,” Trump said. “He’s the governor of this state. And we’re going to get it completed, and you’re going to need a lot of federal help.”
Trump then boarded the Marine One helicopter and took an aerial tour of the Palisades Fire area. After that brief tour, he was taken to a neighborhood where he and Melania Trump walked along Sunset Boulevard, a section of street lined with destroyed homes. They were accompanied by Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Jeff Brown, chief of Station 69 in Pacific Palisades, and Jason Hing, chief deputy of emergency services for the fire department.
Trump and the first lady then met and spoke with Palisades residents Emily Bianchi and Mike and Gabi Shaw.
They both then greeted firefighters at Station 69 and posed for a photo. Trump was presented with an LAFD battalion chief helmet that included his name and the number 47 — as the 47th president.
Trump has repeatedly insisted without explanation that he believes the state’s diversion of water to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Northern California contributed to water-shortage issues faced by firefighters battling the Palisades Fire. He contends the state is prioritizing endangered fish in the delta over people by diverting water that should be allowed to flow to Southern California, but instead flows into the Pacific Ocean.
State officials and environmental groups have blasted Trump’s claims about water management being tied to the firefighting effort as misinformation.
Bruce Reznik, executive director of the advocacy group LA Waterkeeper, issued a statement saying Trump has a “faulty understanding of the state’s water system.”
“Every American should be clear about what the president is doing here: In a time of extreme crisis and tragedy, he is using this emergency to line the pockets of his wealthy benefactors — in this case, industrial agricultural producers in the San Joaquin Valley — at the expense of the rest of us,” Reznik said.
“Water is a big business in California, and it’s no surprise that this president is focused on further enriching the rich rather than meeting the needs of everyday Californians.”
Trump did not visit the Eaton Fire area in Altadena during his visit.
In his briefing with local officials following his Palisades tour, Trump repeated his plans to issue an executive order calling on water to flow from Northern California to the Los Angeles area. He also repeated his contentions that California is lagging in forest management and failing to “rake” forest floors that he said can quickly turn into tinder boxes.
Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, whose district includes Pacific Palisades, told Trump during the briefing that many people affected by the fires had their insurance canceled, and he called for dramatic federal appropriations for rebuilding programs.
Sherman also asked Trump to consider holding off on imposing tariffs on construction materials for three years to ensure rebuilding can progress quickly. Trump said he would “take a look” at the suggestion.