By Abigail Kim

On January 20, Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. Among topics of pledging a “golden age” for the country and halting immigration, Trump also addressed the California wildfires in his speech. He briefly referenced the fires, criticizing California’s government for being unable to protect its citizens during times of crisis. 

During his address Trump stated, “We are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defense. They’re raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country, some of whom are sitting here right now. They don’t have a home any longer. That’s interesting. We can’t let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That’s going to change.” 

Trump has repeatedly reaffirmed his belief that the incompetence of California’s government was what put us in that situation in the first place. He has continually disparaged Governor Gavin Newsom by calling him “Newscum,” writing on Truth Social that “Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snowmelt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way.”

Trump revoiced this opinion when he gave his first sit-down interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity in the oval office where he threatened to withhold federal aid from California as it worked to fight and recover from the wildfires. 

During his interview Trump stated, “I don’t think we should give California anything until they let water flow down.” 

This statement refers to the false belief that LA is in a drought because Newsom won’t send water from northern California to protect the delta smelt, an endangered fish. This is completely untrue as most of LA’s water comes from alternative sources such as the Owens River, Mono Lake Basin, and reservoirs on the east slopes of the southern Sierra. 

Partnership is of the utmost importance when it comes to helping California recover from the destruction and havoc that the wildfires have wreaked. In total, the fires have burned $250 billion dollars, making it one of the most costly natural disasters in U.S. history. 

Though Trump can’t actually withhold federal disaster aid from California, he can slow down the approval process, preventing the state’s access to federal relief funding as quickly as possible. But doing so could be detrimental to the wellbeing of California and all its citizens. 

According to Cal Matters, federal funding pays for approximately 75 percent of the costs required to rebuild public infrastructure such as roads, sewers, water systems, parks, and fire stations. This ultimately means that lack of federal funding will force California to come up with billions of dollars. 

Federal funding is also responsible for helping those who have lost their homes to find temporary living spaces. They also help with other costs such as home-rebuilding which aren’t covered by private insurance companies. By withholding federal aid, many of the 100,000 Angelenos that were displaced by the fires will struggle to make ends meet and get back to their normal lives after they have lost everything. 

Ultimately, federal disaster aid is essential in aiding LA’s recovery and continuing to maintain the stability and resilience of California as a whole. Thus, it is critical for California to receive such aid in the near future.