Vice President-elect JD Vance strongly dismissed claims that President-elect Donald Trump might withhold federal aid from California as the state works to recover from devastating wildfires.
During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, host Shannon Bream asked Vance about Trump’s remarks at a September 2024 press conference in Los Angeles, where he suggested withholding funds unless the state improved its spending practices.
“We won’t give him money to put out all his fires,” Trump said at the time. “And if we don’t give him the money to put out his fires, he’s got problems.”
When asked whether the Trump administration was seriously considering withholding assistance, Vance categorically denied the notion, emphasizing that Trump is committed to strengthening the federal government’s disaster response.
“No, look, President Trump cares about all Americans, right? He is the president for all Americans,” Vance asserted. “And I think that he intends to have FEMA and other federal responses much, much better and much more clued into what’s going on there on the ground.”
Vance also responded to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s invitation for Trump to visit the state, saying, “I know the president would love to visit California,” adding, “Our hearts go out to those affected by the natural disasters.”
Regardless of political affiliation, Vance acknowledged the widespread devastation, saying, “It’s hard not to see those images and just be heartbroken for our fellow Americans who are going through a very tough time.”
He went on to stress that the federal government must improve its disaster relief efforts, pledging that the Trump administration will focus on more effective responses. “That’s true for the hurricane victims and flood victims in North Carolina. It’s true for the fire victims in California,” he stated. “We just—we have to do a better job. We need competent, good governance.”
However, Vance did not shy away from criticizing Newsom’s leadership, arguing that poor state governance had contributed to California’s wildfire crisis.
“There is a serious lack of competent governance in California, and I think it’s part of the reason why these fires have gotten so bad,” Vance stated. “We need to do a better job at both the state and federal level.”
He pointed to longstanding infrastructure issues, saying, “Some of these reservoirs have been dry for 15, 20 years. The fire hydrants are being reported as going dry while the firefighters are trying to put out the fires. There was a serious lack of competent governance in California.”
Meanwhile, tensions between the Trump administration and California escalated as the state’s Democratic leadership took legislative steps to prepare for legal battles with the incoming president.
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Late last week, the Democratic Speaker of the California Assembly was pressed by both local and national media after calling a special legislative session to allocate millions of dollars for a legal defense fund aimed at challenging Trump’s policies.
The state Senate also convened a similar session to, in the words of State Senator Maria Zavala, “Trump-proof” California against anticipated federal actions.
In response, Trump fired back at Newsom on his Truth Social platform, accusing him of obstructing progress.
“He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election,” Trump wrote.
With the incoming administration promising sweeping policy changes, the clash between Trump and California’s Democratic leadership is expected to intensify in the months ahead.
