White House slams Gavin Newsom over LA wildfire aid meeting: 'No idea what he’s talking about'

WASHINGTON, DC: The White House slammed Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday, December 5. Newsom had claimed that the Donald Trump administration refused to meet with him during a Washington trip. The trip was intended to secure additional Los Angeles wildfire recovery aid.

Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Newsom “has no idea what he’s talking about” and used Trump’s mocking nickname for the governor, “Newscum.”

Since January, California has received more than $7 billion in federal funds after the Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed thousands of acres and high-value homes. Despite this, the state’s governor is seeking even more aid, according to The New York Post.

White House pushes back at Gavin Newsom over wildfire aid dispute

“President Trump’s historic leadership following the Los Angeles wildfires led to the fastest hazardous debris removal operation in history,” Jackson said. “This played a critical role in helping communities recover from tragedy. And when Democrat politicians and bureaucrats said something like this was impossible, President Trump found a solution."

The White House spokeswoman added that Trump “expedited” the wildfire recovery process. She said Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass “made the disaster worse than it needed to be. They drained the Santa Ynez Reservoir and failed to prepare to utilize pumps and aqueducts. Then they slowed the recovery process with permit approvals dragging on despite the President’s tremendous efforts to help the overall process.”

Gavin Newsom slams Donald Trump administration for rejecting wildfire recovery meeting

Gavin Newsom asked Congress for an additional $34 billion this week, down from the $40 billion he initially requested in February. He also went to Capitol Hill to speak with lawmakers and request the funds.

“Today, I had productive meetings with leaders on both sides of the aisle who agreed that recovery funding is vital, while federal officials from the Trump administration turned their backs on survivors by refusing to even meet with us,” Newsom said in a statement.

“President Trump’s promise to ‘take care’ of survivors was clearly a lie,” the governor charged. “He isn’t here for the people of Los Angeles, just like he isn’t here for everyday Americans. That’s not just disrespectful, it’s a disgrace, and it’s time for him to wake up and do his job.”

Newsom’s office said asking to meet with FEMA Acting Administrator Karen Evans was “routine” and that being turned down was unusual. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Newsom’s team that Evans “could not meet” and did not suggest meeting with anyone else, his office said.