For weeks, President Trump has been planning an unprecedented entrance to his second term.
A crisis over the burning flames in Los Angeles threatens to divert attention from the incoming president’s big moment when he walks back into the Oval Office next week.
The Trump administration is hell-bent on getting off to a quick start, having learned their lesson from the previous term’s mayhem. This is particularly true given that the Republicans’ hold on Washington power could be limited to only two years. New incentives for oil development, rapid changes to the border, and massive tax savings are already in the works. On Monday, Trump will wear black tie to three presidential balls, and the newly inaugurated White House is anticipated to publish a number of executive orders.
Even if the fires are mostly extinguished by Inauguration Day, the unexpected need for billions of dollars in federal funding to restore miles of destroyed houses might already make it harder to enact Trump’s program, especially with the small Republican majority in the House intent on cutting spending.
In his first week in office, Trump wasted no time blaming progressive environmental regulations and Democrats for the disaster, showing that he was uninterested in battling for federal funding for one of the bluest states.
However, crises do not come to presidents at will.
According to sources who spoke with AWN on Monday, Trump is reportedly thinking of visiting Los Angeles within his first days in office. This would allow him to meet with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, both of whom he has accused of being responsible for the fire.
Trump might use this trip to attempt to build a “fix-it” image to counteract what he sees as the disastrous progressive government.
The incoming president may be struck by the magnitude of the crisis when he sees the catastrophic destruction that has befallen our nation, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless.
The damage in Los Angeles was “far worse than you even see on television,” Trump said Monday in an interview with Newsmax. The idea of a huge real estate development project, however, did appear to entice the wealthy real estate entrepreneur.
“Los Angeles is going to be involved in something. At this very moment, I am donning my developer cap,” Trump declared.
The president’s visit to disaster zones has the potential to bring comfort and unleash governmental authority. Some Americans may have negative feelings about the new president’s first term, but an empathic visit might change their minds. While these picture ops are great for the media, they also serve to highlight the commander in chief’s role in overseeing the expensive and intricate relief effort.
A Trump advisor told AWN Monday that the president plans to visit California at some point, but the exact schedule is still up in the air. We have not reached a final decision.
The ways in which Trump’s initial disaster management efforts fell short
The terrible disaster in Los Angeles will also put Trump, as president of the United States, through his paces.
When Trump was in the White House for the second time, he hinted that he may use disaster relief funding as political leverage against Democratic-controlled states. In one case, he accused “inept politicians” of using “ridiculously high amounts” to pay off other debts, suggesting a deep-seated resentment at providing storm help to US citizens of Puerto Rico.
When an emergency reaction conflicted with the president-elect’s own political ambitions, his leadership flaws were most apparent. His initial dedication to COVID-19 mitigation measures waned as he realized the problem and its economic effects may hurt his chances of being re-elected in 2020.
Before the current California wildfire problem ever began, Trump had already threatened to let the state burn unless Newsom changed her water management practices to meet his demands. He will not be granted the funds necessary to address all of his concerns until he signs the necessary paperwork. At a September rally in California, Trump warned that the president would face challenges unless Congress provided him with the funds to address his crises.
It’s possible that Trump’s backers may view this as a lawful exercise of presidential power to compel California to alter its environmental laws, which the new administration blames for the flames.
However, political chaos is sure to ensue if the federal government tries to use its spending authority to force local governments to alter their policies.
Investigations into the flames may reveal that local officials were unprepared for the magnitude, proving the president-elect correct. Neighborhood construction in high-risk locations for fires is another area that may use some improvement. It is premature to determine the exact cause of the accident, though. In his heated social media rants, Trump has a knack for citing conspiracy theories and spreading disinformation, all in an effort to further his own political agenda.
It is quite probable that investigations conducted after the accident will reveal that the combination of strong winds, parched foliage caused by weeks of drought, and tinderbox conditions led to a perfect fire storm. The human-caused rise in global temperatures, which Trump rejects, is making these kinds of situations more probable. To illustrate his point, on Monday, the president-elect shared a photo of a neighborhood engulfed in flames with the caption: “It’s not climate change.” The photo had been shared by one of his followers. Dems are to blame.
Fact checkers have disproved Trump’s assertion that water constraints hindered firemen as a result of progressive efforts to conserve the environment and save a rare species, the delta smelt. His early presidential popularity may take a hit if he were to cut off help to tens of thousands of people—many of whom have lost their homes—because of these lies.
Trump presents California leaders with a challenging test
Given the unpredictable character of the president-elect, California authorities will have to walk a fine line; they are already under tremendous political pressure as it is, and they realize that picking fights with Trump might backfire.
Given Newsom’s possible run for president and California’s position as a Democratic stronghold, the two have had a contentious relationship on Trump’s environmental and reproductive rights policies, among others.
Newsom remembered their joint efforts to aid victims of a prior wildfire in a letter she sent to Trump on Friday. However, he cautioned against turning tragedies involving real beings into political issues or spreading false information while standing by. The hundreds of thousands of Americans who have lost their homes and are worried about what the future holds have a right to expect that we will all do what is necessary to help them recover and rebuild as quickly as possible.
ohnson’s proposal to condition California money on certain outcomes infuriates Democrats.
The political effects of the ongoing flames in Los Angeles have begun to echo all the way to Washington.
With the weakest House majority in decades, passing Trump’s agenda while increasing the government’s borrowing authority was bound to be a challenge.
On Monday, GOP leaders were considering whether or not to allocate further billions to California.
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-CA) brought up the idea of punishing or enforcing change on the Democratic leadership in California with disaster relief funds. “Our assessment is that state and local officials were negligent in numerous areas,” he told Manu Raju of AWN.
In my opinion, the assistance should likely be subject to certain requirements. In my opinion, it is the case. As for the Republican from Louisiana, he hadn’t had the opportunity to talk about the matter with any of his colleagues yet, so he was waiting to hear what the general opinion was. Additionally, he mentioned that there has been “some discussion” regarding the possibility of tying California help to the debt limit, which needs to be raised within the next few months to avert an economic catastrophe triggered by a US debt default. The goal could be to force Democrats to vote in favor of increasing the government’s borrowing ability, as a large number of Republicans might prevent Johnson from having a majority on the matter.
Still, lawmakers are understandably sensitive about the prospect of their district unexpectedly needing catastrophe assistance, making the decision to deny such funding a contentious one in Congress.
In response to Johnson’s comments, Democrats were furious.
“This is an error. Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida warned on X that the situation would escalate indefinitely if it began. If the Democrats win back the House, they’ll tie funding for states like Florida and Texas. Emergency aid must remain non-partisan. Attempts by Democrats to accomplish this would provoke a fight from me. The Speaker has plenty of other options for making people pay,” he added.
The impending political struggle was hinted at by New York Representative Jerrold Nadler, who wrote on X that these monies “should NEVER be conditioned or used as a bargaining chip—period.” “Then making it harder for people to get federal assistance? Using this tragedy for political points,” he continued. It’s disheartening.
