Trump Set to Visit California to Assess Wildlife Devastation This Week
“It would be more appropriate for me to go as president,” Trump remarked after contemplating an earlier visit.
President-elect Donald Trump announced on January 18 that he was likely to tour the Los Angeles region—devastated by wildfires since early January—later that week following his inauguration ceremony on Monday.
As of Friday, at least 27 people have died, and over 10,000 structures have been destroyed in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. Officials indicated that more than 12,000 structures in total have been damaged or destroyed across the Los Angeles area.
“I will be [going], probably, at the end of the week,” Trump shared in a Saturday interview with NBC.
He mentioned having thought about visiting California on Friday but ultimately believed “it would be better if I went as president.”
“It’s a little bit more appropriate, I think,” he added.
During the nearly two weeks of devastation, Trump took aim at California Governor Gavin Newsom, implying that his policies were responsible for water shortages that impeded fire relief efforts. Newsom dismissed Trump’s accusations and extended an invitation for him to visit the affected area last week.
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People should refrain from “politicizing human tragedy or spreading misinformation from the sidelines,” Newsom stated.
Trump also criticized Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for her handling of the situation and implied that his predecessor, President Joe Biden, had left FEMA with an inadequate budget.
Starting January 7, the wildfires expanded rapidly due to dry conditions and fierce Santa Ana winds, which reached hurricane-strength levels of up to 80 mph in some parts of San Bernardino County earlier this month. The National Weather Service had issued a red flag warning last week after wind gusts hit 70 mph around the Los Angeles mountains.
Authorities advised most evacuees on January 16 to refrain from returning to their homes for at least another week. Damage estimates are between $20 billion and $40 billion, with rental prices increasing and many residents facing uncertainty over their insurance claims.
However, private forecaster AccuWeather has calculated total damage and economic losses to be in the range of $250 billion to $275 billion, potentially making these wildfires the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, surpassing Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Since April, Southern California has not experienced significant rainfall, resulting in dry brush that fuels the fierce Santa Ana winds, which can carry embers up to 2 miles ahead of the fires.
With entire neighborhoods reduced to ashes and debris, many homes are left with only chimneys standing.
“Experiencing it from the air is vastly different than seeing it on television. The overwhelming destruction is unimaginable until you witness it,” Bass remarked in a press conference last week after an aerial tour of the damage.
Reuters contributed to this report.
