Newsom changes tone on Trump from campaign rhetoric with federal wildfire recovery funds at stake

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has agelong been a starring adversary, and target, of President Donald Trump.

But the politician of the nation's astir populous state, 1 of the Democratic Party's leaders successful the absorption against the 2nd Trump medication and a imaginable White House contender successful 2028, is leaving authorities speech arsenic helium feverishly works to unafraid much national assistance for radical and businesses devastated by past month's deadly wildfires successful metropolitan Los Angeles.

"Thank you, President Trump, for coming to our communities to spot this firsthand and gathering with maine contiguous to proceed our associated efforts to enactment radical impacted," Newsom said successful a connection connected Wednesday evening aft his huddle with the president astatine the White House.

In a video posted connected societal medial, the politician said, "So, present astatine the White House. Just finished a gathering with President Trump. Had a precise palmy time up connected Capitol Hill arsenic well, gathering successful a bipartisan mode with Republican and Democratic leaders astir catastrophe assistance and catastrophe betterment for radical impacted by the fires successful Southern California."

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Newsom described his meetings with Trump and members of Congress arsenic "the tone of collaboration and practice … defined."

The governor's travel was his archetypal to Washington, D.C., since Trump took implicit successful the White House and is portion of his effort to unafraid further national backing to assistance successful wildfire betterment from the destructive blazes that killed 29 people, destroyed implicit 12,000 homes and forced tens of thousands to evacuate.

TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND

Late past month, the politician approved $2.5 cardinal for occurrence betterment work, which helium hopes volition beryllium reimbursed by the national government. 

And the authorities volition apt request overmuch much assistance from the national authorities due to the fact that the measure to screen rebuilding costs is expected to scope into the tens of billions of dollars.

The aftermath of a wildfire successful Pacific Palisades and on Pacific Coast Highway Jan. 10, 2025, successful Los Angeles. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)

Newsom, aft his gathering with Trump and his crisscrossing of Capitol Hill, emphasized that "we proceed to chopped reddish portion to velocity up betterment and cleanup efforts arsenic good arsenic guarantee rebuilding efforts are swift. We’re moving crossed the aisle, arsenic we ever have, to guarantee survivors person the resources and enactment they need."

Relations betwixt Newsom and Trump haven't ever been truthful harmonious.

Their animosity dates backmost to earlier Trump was elected president the archetypal clip successful 2016, erstwhile Newsom was California's lieutenant governor.

NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP'S CLAIMS 'PURE FICTION' AFTER HE POINTED FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY

And portion they did question communal crushed astatine times during Trump's archetypal word successful the White House, the verbal fireworks resumed implicit the past 2 years arsenic Newsom served arsenic a apical surrogate connected the run way for erstwhile President Joe Biden and erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden arsenic the Democrats' 2024 standard-bearer past summer. 

Newsom regularly criticized Trump, and the erstwhile and aboriginal president handily returned the favor, treating Newsom and heavy bluish California arsenic a governmental punching bag.

After Trump's convincing predetermination triumph implicit Harris successful November, Newsom moved to "Trump-proof" his heavy bluish state. 

"He is utilizing the word ‘Trump-Proof’ arsenic a mode of stopping each of the GREAT things that tin beryllium done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I conscionable overwhelmingly won the Election," Trump responded.

But Newsom followed through, and earlier this week, California lawmakers approved $25 cardinal successful ineligible backing projected by the Democratic politician to situation actions by the Trump administration. And the legislature besides allocated different $25 cardinal for ineligible groups to support undocumented immigrants facing imaginable deportation by caller Trump medication efforts.

President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom locomotion to talk to reporters aft the president arrived connected Air Force One astatine Los Angeles International Airport successful Los Angeles Jan. 24, 2025. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

After the outbreak of the fires aboriginal past month, Trump repeatedly criticized Newsom's handling of the crisis. He has accused the politician of mismanaging forestry and h2o argumentation and, pointing to aggravated backlash implicit a perceived deficiency of preparation, called connected Newsom to measurement down.

"Gavin Newscum should resign. This is each his fault!!!" Trump charged successful a societal media station Jan. 8, repeating a derogatory sanction helium often labels the governor.

Trump besides placed blasted for the deadly wildfires connected Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, different Democrat, and the policies approved by authorities lawmakers. In an enforcement bid issued past month, helium described absorption of the state's onshore and h2o resources arsenic "disastrous."

Newsom pushed back. Disputing Trump, the politician noted that reservoirs successful the confederate portion of California were afloat erstwhile the fires archetypal sparked, and helium has argued that nary magnitude of h2o could tackle fires fueled by winds of up to 100 miles per hour.

Newsom besides claimed Trump dispersed "hurricane-force winds of mis- and disinformation."

But erstwhile Trump arrived successful Los Angeles precocious past period to survey the archetypal harm — conscionable 4 days aft his inauguration arsenic president — the politician greeted him astatine the airport.

"Thank you archetypal for being here. It means a large woody to each of us," Newsom told Trump arsenic helium greeted the president upon his accomplishment successful Los Angeles past month. "We’re going to request your support. We’re going to request your help." 

The president declared that "we're looking to get thing completed. And the mode you get it completed is to enactment together."

Ahead of his halt successful Los Angeles, Trump had threatened to withhold wildfire assistance until definite stipulations were met successful California, including changes to h2o argumentation and requiring an ID to vote.

President Donald Trump talks with California Gov. Gavin Newsom aft arriving connected Air Force One astatine Los Angeles International Airport successful Los Angeles Jan. 24, 2025.  (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

"It wasn't discussed, and I anticipation we tin determination beyond that," Newsom said Thursday erstwhile asked successful a CNN interrogation astir immoderate conditions for national assistance Trump whitethorn person demanded.

"Some of the conditions that were being bandied astir conscionable seemed to be, for me, a small spot of noise, a small spot political. At the extremity of the day, we're each successful this together."

Newsom has besides stepped backmost successful caller weeks successful pushing backmost against Trump's zingers.

Following Trump's orders, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers past week opened 2 dams successful Central California, letting astir 2.2 cardinal gallons of h2o travel retired of reservoirs.

Trump celebrated the determination successful posts connected Truth Social Friday and Sunday, declaring, "the h2o is flowing successful California," and adding the h2o was "heading to farmers passim the State, and to Los Angeles."

But h2o experts argued that the recently released h2o won't travel to Los Angeles, and it is being wasted by being released during California's usually bedewed wintertime season.

Newsom, seemingly aiming to rebuild the moving narration helium had with Trump during the president's archetypal word successful the White House, didn't rise immoderate objections to the h2o release.

"For Newsom, it's not conscionable the past disaster, it's the adjacent one. Because erstwhile you are politician of California, you cognize successful the not excessively distant aboriginal determination volition beryllium much wildfires, oregon floods oregon earthquakes, and he's going to request assistance from the national government," Jack Pitney, a seasoned California-based governmental idiosyncratic astatine Claremont McKenna College, emphasized.

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Pitney argued that "whatever [Newsom] thinks astir Trump, helium needs the president's help."

But looking ahead, helium noted that Newsom is "termed retired successful 2 years. So, erstwhile he's nary longer governor, helium tin beryllium arsenic partisan and anti-Trump arsenic helium wants. But, for now, that has to beryllium connected hold."