Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday thanked President Donald Trump for visiting Southern California this month to inspect the devastation caused by the wildfires, marking the first time since an online spat over wildfire damage ensued. It was a showdown.
President Trump traveled to Southern California on Friday to survey the damage caused by recent wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres and more than 10,000 structures in the Los Angeles area and killed nearly 30 people.
Newsom was seen waiting on the tarmac before Trump disembarked from Air Force One. The two men shook hands, and Trump appeared to tug on his arm, a known power move in which he tugs on world leaders.
“First of all, thank you for being here. It's a great thing for all of us,” Newsom said after meeting on the tarmac of Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles just after 3 p.m. local time. “We will need your support, we will need your help.”
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On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump will face off on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport. (pool)
He added that Trump “has not forgotten that he was in California during the coronavirus pandemic.”
The meeting marked the first face-to-face interaction between Newsom and Trump since he took office on Monday.
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President Trump thanked Newsom for greeting him upon his arrival, adding: “I think we're making very good progress” on fire recovery.
“We want to solve the problem,” President Trump said. “It's like a bomb went off.”
President Donald Trump met with California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles aboard Air Force One. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
He placed some of the blame on Newsom and other California Democrats for not being adequately prepared to deal with the fires, adding: “We will permanently fix it so it never happens again.” .
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In recent weeks, President Trump has blamed Newsom and Democratic leaders for the growing wildfire damage, citing fire management and water policies.
“Gavin Newscam should resign. This is all his fault!!!” Trump charged in a social media post on January 8th.
