President Trump and first lady Melania Trump traveled to Southern California and met with residents to tour the damage of the Los Angeles wildfires on Friday.
President Trump landed in Los Angeles Friday afternoon to tour damage from the devastating Palisades Fire, one of two deadly wildfires fires this month, greeting Gov. Gavin Newsom who was waiting at the bottom of the steps to Air Force One.
California is seeking federal emergency aid from Trump and Congress as it continues to recover from the fires, with several blazes still not fully extinguished. The Palisades fire was at 79 percent containment with an estimated 23,448 acres burned as of Friday night, according to Cal Fire.
Instead of having federal financial assistance flow through FEMA, the Republican president said Washington could provide money directly to the states.
Donald Trump scored a big win in Washington and visited North Carolina, California and Nevada on first trip since beginning his second term.
President Trump landed in Los Angeles on Friday to survey the devastation from the firestorms that swept through the county.
The president has had harsh words for state and local leaders in California amid the deadly blazes. He recently suggested that any federal aid could come with strings.
President Donald Trump said he's considering "getting rid of" FEMA as he hit the road for the first time since his second inauguration, visiting victims of Hurricane Helene and the California wildfires.
"We want to get it fixed, we want to get the problem fixed and there will be some ways. It's like you got hit by a bomb," President Trump said once he arrived in LA.
The area has been desperate for rainfall. Dry conditions in combination with heavy winds have created the perfect environment for blazes, experts say. “When you throw dry air and Santa Ana winds into the mix, you have prime ingredients for wildfires,” said AccuWeather California expert Ken Clark.
This isn’t the first time Trump has come to survey a fire-ravaged California. He was critical of the state then, as he is now.