President Donald Trump arrived in Los Angeles on Friday to survey damage from the recent wildfires and discuss federal efforts to help parts of the county rebuild. Governor Gavin Newsom was there to greet the President on the tarmac. Despite their thorny relationship (the President famously refers to the Governor as “Newscum”), the two men were cordial with each other, even sharing a quick embrace as Trump disembarked Air Force One.
The niceties will probably be short-lived. After the meeting, Trump reiterated his belief that federal aid to California should be conditioned on policy changes. He wants the state to require voter ID in elections. He also wants to see changes to the state’s water policies.
On Friday evening, Trump attended a public discussion with L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, and a number of Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Newsom was notably absent from the roundtable.
Trump implored local leaders to allow displaced residents back into their homes to clean up the damage. Bass pushed back, explaining that the areas are still covered in potentially hazardous waste.
“What’s hazardous waste?” Trump replied. “I mean, you’re going to have to define that.”
A host of toxins — including asbestos, benzene, hydrogen fluoride, cadmium, various pesticides, fertilizers, paint solvents, and cleaning fluids — are believed to be among the ash and debris.
Some residents said they’ve been told by the Army Corps of Engineers that they can’t return to their properties for another 18 months. Bass said it would not take that long, but she also could not provide a concrete timeline.
Officials are doing “everything we can – slashing regulations, expediting everything, so that people can begin the process right away,” the mayor said.
That statement was met with incredulity by some residents, as well as Trump. When asked for a timeline, Bass estimated it would be within a week.
Bass and other L.A. leaders are still taking heat for their response to the crisis, and the alleged failure to prepare beforehand. Some residents in the Pacific Palisades have filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) for failing to properly manage the water supply and allowing a nearby reservoir to sit empty for almost a year.
In a devastating report, the Los Angeles Times found that L.A. County officials were also aware of severe infrastructure problems, but failed to act.
“Records show L.A. County missed dozens of opportunities for water infrastructure improvements that experts say likely would have helped firefighters during the Palisades fire,” according to the Times.
“Some of the long-delayed projects were specifically aimed at improving ‘fire flow’ and ensuring enough water during emergencies.”