President Donald Trump visited Los Angeles on Friday (January 24) to assess the damage caused by wildfires that have devastated the area. Upon arrival, he was greeted by California Governor Gavin Newsom, marking a rare moment of cooperation between the two leaders who often clash politically. During their meeting, Trump expressed his desire to address the ongoing issues, saying, "We want to get the problem fixed."

"We're looking to get something completed, and the way you get it completed is to work together. He's the governor of the state, and we're going to get it completed," Trump said. "They're going to need a lot of federal help. We're going to take care of things."

Newsom thanked Trump for his support, recalling the federal assistance provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"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 the speedy recovery," Newsom told Trump.

The visit to Los Angeles was part of Trump's first presidential trip of his second term, which also included a stop in hurricane-affected North Carolina. Accompanying Trump were his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and first lady Melania Trump. The trip comes amid ongoing debates over federal and state responsibilities in disaster management, with Trump suggesting that states should handle their own issues.

Earlier in the day, Trump criticized California's handling of the wildfires, suggesting that the fires "could have been put out" and attributing the ongoing crisis to wildlife protections that limit water access. He hinted at the possibility of withholding federal disaster aid over policy disagreements, including voter ID laws and water management policies.

Trump also said he wants to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and even suggested getting rid of the agency.

"I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe getting rid of FEMA, I think, frankly, FEMA is not good," Trump said during his visit to North Carolina.

Trump has repeatedly blamed California's Democratic leaders for the persistent wildfires, arguing that environmental policies have exacerbated the problem. Governor Newsom has countered these claims, accusing Trump of spreading misinformation about the state's water policies.

Mike McConnell