President Trump is taking the first trip of his second term on Friday, to visit Asheville, North Carolina — torn apart by Hurricane Helene in September — and then Los Angeles, Calif., devastated by wildfires in recent weeks, some of which are still burning.
Trump supporters cheer as president's motorcade drives by
Crowds of Donald Trump fans are lining the roads in North Carolina to watch his motorcade drive by.
Trump is heading to Swannanoa, NC, to meet with families whose lives were upended by Hurricane Helene.
Trump: 'Wasn't thrilled' about Schiff joining trip to Los Angeles
President Trump also revealed that he wasn't "thrilled" about Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joining the trip to visit areas of Los Angeles destroyed by wildfires.
"I was told that Schiff was going to travel with us to California -- I wasn't thrilled, to be honest with you," Trump said.
"I saw him last night on television. It looks like he got hit with a baseball bat or something. What happened to him?"
Schiff, who had no visible bruises or disfigurations when appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Friday morning, said he had to turn down the invitation to vote on some of the president's cabinet nominees -- including Defense Secretary-designate Pete Hegseth.
Trump claims LA fires could have been averted: 'I told them to do it seven years ago':
President Trump has claimed that California's devastating wildfires could have been averted if state officials had taken his previous advice.
"If they released the water, they wouldn't have had a problem," Trump said at a briefing in Asheville, NC.
"I told them to do it seven years ago," he said, referring to his first term in the White House.
"If they would have done it," he added, "you might not have even had a fire."
Trump suggests he may be 'getting rid of FEMA'
President Trump in a briefing with hurricane-hit residents of North Carolina suggested his administration may be "getting rid of FEMA."
"I think we're going to recommend that FEMA go away, and we pay directly," Trump said. "We pay a percentage to the state. But the state should fix this."
"FEMA has been a very big disappointment. They cost a tremendous amount of money. It's very bureaucratic and it's very slow," he added before joking: "Other than that, we're very happy with them."
"Some residents still don't have hot water or drinking water or anything else," the president said earlier of the state of destruction in western North Carolina around four months since Hurricane Helene.
Trump floats water reforms, voter ID changes in exchange for wildfire relief
President Trump floated changes to California's water supply and new voter ID laws — just before suggesting state and local officials could be receiving "a lot of help" in relief funds if they're put in place.
"I want to see two things in Los Angeles: voter ID, so that the people have a chance to vote. And I want to see the water be released and come down into Los Angeles and throughout the state," Trump said.
"Those are the two things; after that I will be the greatest president that California has ever seen," he added.
"I want the water to come down ... to Los Angeles and also go out to all the farmland that's barren and dry."
'FEMA hasn't done the job,' Trump says, so states should cover disaster costs
President Trump told reporters that the Federal Emergency Management Agency "hasn't done the job" in responding to Hurricane Helene — and floated changing relief aid funding to have states cover more costs.
"I'm stopping in North Carolina first because they've been abused by what's happened," Trump said. "We're going to fix it as fast as you can."
"FEMA just hasn't done the job. We're looking at the whole concept of FEMA," he added.
"I'd like to see the states take care of disasters. ... You'll do it for less than half. And you're going to get a lot quicker response," Trump announced. "We'll be making that recommendation over the next couple of weeks."
Asheville resident 'excited' for Trump visit to hurricane-struck sites 'ignored for months': 'We've been screaming ... we need help'
An Asheville resident took to X Friday morning to welcome President Trump to hurricane-struck sites in western North Carolina, saying his state has been "ignored for months."
"It's been 119 days since Hurricane Helene, and if you're wondering why all of us are still talking about it, it's because my street has this all over it," X user Matt Van Swol said, sharing a video of trailers and debris blocking access to his kids' soccer field.
"Over here, there is a bridge. It is sitting in the river; it used to connect this neighborhood to the road," he added in disbelief, pointing also to a soccer field behind the street strewn with trash.
"This is why we're excited for Trump to come today," he went on. "Trash is everywhere. This is why we've been screaming for months. We need help."
"Trump, I hope you come bring it," he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.