President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit western North Carolina, recently hit by hurricanes, and wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles on Friday, marking his first trip since starting his second term.
Trump has also criticized Former President Joe Biden for handling the crisis in North Carolina and accused California’s leadership of implementing water policies that have worsened conditions from the wildfires. He recently tweeted, “I don’t think we should give California anything until they let the water run down,” during an interview with Sean Hannity of the Fox News Channel.
According to the reports, the White House has requested California’s congressional representatives from all parties, including Democrats, to organize a roundtable in a Santa Monica airplane hangar during Trump’s visit. The meeting would focus on disaster management and response strategies.
Trump also presented the idea of delegating more responsibilities to the state governments to deal with disasters. He recommended using federal disaster relief funds as bargaining chips in unrelated legislative measures, such as in passing government borrowing or to compel California to change its water-conservation policies.
“Southern California and California has always been there for other regions of the country in their time of crisis, and we expect our country to be there for us,” said California Democrat Senator Alex Padilla, who expressed concern over the federal response.
Trump’s response to disaster has been one of the most contentious policies he has undertaken. According to former administration officials, during his first term, he was considering cutting aid to Democratic states that didn’t vote for him. Michael Coen, former FEMA chief of staff under the Biden administration, said Trump is ‘misinformed; about the agency’s critical role in helping states during emergencies.
During the campaign, Trump has made disaster visits to areas that have been affected by hurricanes and tornadoes. Some of these visits have not gone well; he was widely criticized for tossing paper towels to survivors of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Campaigning last year, he also lied about how Democrats deliberately failed to help Republican areas in North Carolina, inflaming political rhetoric.
Moreover, Trump has incorrectly blamed California’s water shortages on conservation policies designed to protect fish in northern parts of the state, which he claimed left hydrants dry in Los Angeles. Disaster management experts emphasize the need for cooperation among all states in the provision of relief during crises.
