Topline
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Sunday she is in communication with the incoming Trump administration as local and state politicians have invited President-elect Donald Trump to visit California to survey the wildfire damage, after he slammed their handling of the fires.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, chats with California Governor Gavin Newsom while surveying damage … [+]
Key Facts
Bass said at a press conference she received a “positive response” from the Trump administration about a potential visit to California from the president-elect and “will be talking more. . . in the coming days” about the discussions.
The mayor said she is “not worried” about Trump’s criticism of California officials’ response to the wildfires, after Trump blasted Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom repeatedly last week, accusing them Thursday on Truth Social of “gross incompetence.”
Bass made the comments as wildfires in Los Angeles County have been raging for six days, killing at least 16 as of Sunday with more than 100,000 residents still under evacuation orders.
Trump has also gotten invitations to visit the area from Newsom and L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger.
Barger mentioned the invitation in Sunday’s press conference and said she looks “forward to welcoming President-elect Trump to our communities so he can see the desperate need but also the incredible opportunity, hope and perseverance of our impacted neighbors.”
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How Has Trump Attacked Karen Bass?
Trump accused Bass of “gross incompetence” in a Truth Social post on Thursday, writing the “fire is spreading rapidly for 3 days — ZERO CONTAINMENT!” The
Why Is Karen Bass Under Scrutiny—including From Fire Chief Crowley?
Bass has faced criticism for being in Ghana with a delegation sent by President Joe Biden to attend the country’s presidential inauguration when the fires broke out. Warnings from the National Weather Service of “extreme fire weather conditions” began days before she left town Saturday. Bass did not return until Wednesday, a day after the fires broke out, and her absence has been criticized as evidence the city was underprepared for the fires and underestimated their potential severity. Separately, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has lashed out against city leadership, saying on Friday the city failed her agency, and telling Fox 11 the fire department is not “properly funded” and budget cuts in fiscal year 2025 likely impacted “our ability to provide service.” Bass approved a $17.6 million reduction to the LAFD’s budget in June last year, but in November, the city gave the department more money for pay raises for firefighters and new equipment that amounted to a 7% increase in the overall budget compared to the previous fiscal year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
How Has Bass Responded To The Criticism?
When Bass returned from Ghana, she was confronted by a Sky News reporter at the airport who asked her a series of question about her response, including if she would apologize to the city’s residents. Bass stood silent and glanced at the ground as the reporter followed her for approximately two minutes while video recording the interaction. During a press conference later Wednesday, Bass defended her absence and said she “was in contact with many of the individuals that are standing here throughout the entire time,” referring to other city officials, and adding, “when my flight landed, I immediately went to the fire zone and saw what happened in the Pacific Palisades.” Bass said she “took the fastest route back” via military plane, “which facilitated our communications” and allowed her “to be on the phone the entire time of the flight.” As for criticisms of the Fire Department’s budget Bass said during a briefing Thursday there weren’t any budget cuts “that would have impacted the situation that we were dealing with over the last couple of days.” On Saturday, Bass said she and Crowley are “focused” on putting out the fires and “any differences that we might have will be worked out in private.” She and Crowley are “in lock step,” Bass said.
How Has Trump Attacked Gavin Newsom?
Trump accused Newsom last week of mismanaging the state’s water flow by supporting a plan to divert some water from Northern California through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to preserve wildlife that live there, including smelt fish. Trump has argued for years that California should instead prioritize sending water to farmers in the Central Valley and Southern California, claiming it would moisten the ground and prevent fires. Trump also accused Newsom of refusing to sign a “water restoration declaration”—which Newsom says doesn’t exist—that Trump claimed “would have allowed millions of gallons of water . . . to flow daily into many parts of California.” The fires burning in Los Angeles County are attributed to drought and wind conditions, and there’s no evidence that sending more water to farmers would have helped prevent them. Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center, told the BBC that diverting more water to the Delta “has no bearing on the current availability of water for fire-fighting.”
How Has Newsom Responded To Trump?
Newsom’s office said last week the “water restoration declaration” Trump cited does not exist. Newsom on Sunday accused Trump of “mis- and disinformation I don’t think advantages any of us” in an interview with NBC. Newsom said Trump is “somehow connecting the delta smelt to this fire, which is inexcusable because it’s inaccurate.” Newsom on Friday wrote a letter to Trump inviting him to tour the devastation. He told NBC he hasn’t received a response. Forbes has asked Trump’s team if he plans to visit the state.
Further Reading
Did Budget Cuts Affect Emergency Response To L.A. Wildfires? What To Know About Funding To City’s Fire Department. (Forbes)
California Wildfire Live Updates: At Least 16 Dead In Palisades, Eaton Fires—Another 16 Missing (Forbes)
Trump Slams Gavin Newsom For Wildfires—Falsely Claiming He Rejected ‘Water Restoration Declaration’ (Forbes)
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