In a letter on Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom asked President-elect Donald Trump to accompany him to California to meet with firefighters and victims and observe the devastation caused by the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles County.
Newsom contacted Trump while mentioning the federal aid that the Biden administration had already provided thus far, as two enormous fires were still raging on separate sides of the county. The letter follows the president-elect’s accusation that the governor and Los Angeles officials were to blame for the natural disasters, arguing that their policy choices had made the situation worse.
Trump’s claim that the governor “refused to sign” a water restoration proclamation that would have diverted millions of gallons of water to areas currently affected by wildfires has been denied by Newsom, who has called the claim “pure fiction.”
At least 11 people have been killed and thousands of houses have been burned by the two biggest and most devastating wildfires in Los Angeles: the Palisades Fire in the coastal town of Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire just outside Pasadena. This week, over 150,000 people had to leave their homes, and as the Palisades Fire continued to expand, more residents were ordered to evacuate on Friday night.
References in Newsom’s letterFollowing the Camp Fire in the Northern California town of Paradise, which turned into the state’s deadliest wildfire ever, Trump traveled to California in 2018. The two visited Malibu, which is located in the same region of Los Angeles County as the Palisades Fire tore through, to assess the extensive damage caused by the Woolsey Fire.
The Palisades and Eaton fires are already among the most damaging in the history of the state.
“Now, California is again facing one of the most destructive fires in our history,” Newsom writes in his letter.
“Even in the face of Herculean work by legions of experienced firefighters,” he writes, “a number of wildfires in Los Angeles, carried by hurricane-force gusts, exploded in size, sending thousands fleeing before destroying entire communities.”
“The loss and devastation are horrific,” the letter says, adding that Biden has approved a major disaster declaration.
But there is still a serious risk to people’s lives and property. “With no change in dry conditions, more extreme winds are likely early next week, and higher-than-normal winds of up to 70 miles per hour are still forecast for the next few days,” the letter states. “As you prepare to assume the presidency once more, I invite you to come to California again to meet with the Americans affected by these fires, see the devastation firsthand, and join me and others in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who are putting their lives on the line.”
“In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines,” the letter goes on to say. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans displaced from their homes and fearful for the future deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild.”
The governor invited Trump, but Trump has not yet replied.