Donald Trump blasted California’s wildfire relief efforts and took aim at the FireAid benefit concert that raised $100 million for victims of the January wildfires. Trump called it “another Democrat-inspired scam.”
FireAid had billed itself as a significant fundraiser to benefit those who had been impacted by the Los Angeles fires, but victims of the wildfires said that they never received any assistance from the concert.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump said, “FIREAID IS A TOTAL DISASTER. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER DEMOCRAT INSPIRED SCAM. 100 MILLION DOLLARS IS MISSING. WAS SUPPOSED TO TO GO TO THE LOS ANGELES FIRE VICTIMS, FIRES THAT, WITH PROPER MANAGEMENT, WOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN HAPPENED.”
Trump also criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom, writing, “GOVERNOR NEWSCUM REFUSED TO RELEASE BILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT WOULD HAVE MADE! I HAVE SINCE OVERRULED HIM, AND IT IS NOW RELEASED. All FEDERAL HOUSING PERMITS HAVE ALSO BEEN APPROVED, THE CITY IS YEARS LATE. GET THE FIRE VICTIMS THEIR APPROVALS TO REBUILD, AND DO IT NOW!”
The California wildfires killed more than 30 individuals and burnt over 18000 houses. Spurred by intense Santa Ana winds, the blazes rapidly spread in urban and rural communities. Total damages were placed at between $76 to $130 billion, as per a UCLA report.
FireAid was hosted at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome venues in Inglewood. The benefit concert had headliners such as Lady Gaga, No Doubt, John Mayer, and Olivia Rodrigo. It was streamed on networks such as AMC Theatres and YouTube, and it attracted audiences from all across the globe. The $100 million raised was donated to approximately 188 non-profits assisting with emergency shelter, food, mental health, and fire prevention.
However, some of the victims said they never saw any of the money. David Howard, who lost two homes in Pacific Palisades, told Fox News, “I have not seen any benefit from the FireAid money, and I am very involved here and neither have my neighbours.” Mark Jones, another wildfire victim, added, “The fire aid was for us. So, we figured where is the money? Where is it going?”
FireAid subsequently explained that it never intended to issue direct payments to individuals and partnered with reputable local non-profits instead.
In response, Representative Kevin Kiley wrote to the Department of Justice asking for an investigation. Meanwhile, some non-profits defended FireAid. Michael Flood, head of the LA Regional Food Bank, said the money helped a lot when food demand went up by 30 percent. “It was especially high in January through March as so many people were displaced and lost power and water,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
Despite the fact that numerous aid groups were positive about the aid they received, the grievances further fueled the ongoing controversy surrounding how California approaches wildfires, relief efforts, and how transparent large-scale charity drives actually are.
