Trump’s not California dreamin’

Jan 23, 2025

Presented by Californians for Energy Independence

Gavin Newsom speaks with Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump is planning a trip to visit California wildfire damage, but he hasn't yet said whether he'll meet with Gov. Gavin Newsom. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo

DRIVING THE DAY: A federal judge in Seattle today issued a temporary restraining order blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship — which Trump immediately said he would appeal.

California is not involved in this lawsuit. Attorney General Rob Bonta and others filed theirs in a Massachusetts court. But Bonta cheered the decision all the same.“President Trump’s Day 1 executive order seeking to revoke birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional, attacks American citizens and children, and is un-American,” he said in an X post.

TRACKING TRUMP: Trump’s scheduled visit to wildfire-ravaged Southern California tomorrow is rapidly becoming more of a drive-by than it first appeared on Sunday when he announced his plans “to see it and to get it moving back.”

California is no longer the sole focus of Trump’s first presidential trip, which now includes stops in North Carolina and Nevada — on the same day. The president told Fox News host Sean Hannity last night he “[hasn’t] even thought about” whether he’ll meet with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a longtime nemesis.

Newsom told reporters this afternoon he still had not heard from the president. When asked if he would see him the next day he said, "Well, I certainly plan on being there at the tarmac."

And then there’s the Hughes Fire, which sparked in northern Los Angeles County yesterday morning and has already burned more than 10,000 acres, prompting mandatory evacuations. Firefighters are relying on water and fire retardant drops to control the flames, which may present logistical challenges for a presidential visit.

Here’s a look at what Newsom, Trump and others stand to gain from the trip.

What Newsom wants: To shift Trump’s focus toward fire victims and away from water politics by providing solid, on-the-ground details about the LA fires and California’s wildfire protection efforts and forest management. In a letter inviting the president to visit, Newsom described the Californians in need as “Americans,” emphasizing they “deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild.”

Newsom also is seeking a commitment for supplemental disaster aid without conditions.

What Trump wants: The president has talked about bringing Los Angeles' devastated areas back "with some of the best builders in the world" — and is motivated by the Olympic Games the city is hosting in 2028.

But he has also fixated on a policy change that is only tangentially related to the fires: sending more water from Northern California to Central Valley farmers and to southern parts of the state. Trump has repeatedly insisted that the state make those changes in order to receive federal assistance.

He told Hannity he doesn’t think the federal government should “give California anything until they let the water run down.”

Trump also has expressed interest in trading wildfire aid for a debt limit increase.

What California lawmakers want: For Trump to be moved by seeing the devastation up close. They see it as their best chance for the president and the Republican-controlled Congress to help their blue state — and not use the disaster as leverage in disputes over water policy, forest management or raising the debt ceiling.

“I think when he comes to LA and sees the devastation, he already does, but I think he’ll recognize that the fires did not pick partisan houses to go to,” said Republican state Sen. Suzette Valladares, who represents the Santa Clarita area burning in the day-old Hughes Fire. “And I really feel like he needs to see it first-hand. It's pretty emotional.”

During Senate floor discussion of the wildfire aid package, state Sen. Ben Allen, a Santa Monica Democrat, said it’s his “strong hope” that there is a “seamless transition between the two administrations” after former President Joe Biden quickly came through with aid.

“What we're hearing is that there's going to be support for us and our fellow Americans at this time of incredible need,” Allen said. “Because I know that our community is really hurting right now and really needs help.”

IT’S THURSDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to lholden@politico.com.

A message from Californians for Energy Independence:

Across California, working families have reached their breaking point with our state's energy policies. Bills that make it harder for refineries to provide fuel for California risk costly gas shortages. Policies that shut down our state's local oil production force us to rely on expensive foreign oil - while new mandates could add an additional 47 cents for every gallon of gas. California's drastic energy policies leave working families behind. Learn More.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

A helicopter drops water on a fire.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign a $2.5 billion wildfire relief package this afternoon in Los Angeles County. | Mark J. Terrill/AP

FUNDING ON THE WAY: Newsom signed a $2.5 billion wildfire relief package this afternoon in Los Angeles County after the Legislature passed the bills earlier in the day. The proposal sped through the statehouse this week after Democratic leaders clarified that the bills would be separate from the effort to fund litigation expenses against the Trump administration.

The funding would be parceled out in rounds, with $1 billion for disaster response and emergency operations available immediately. Assembly Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel, a Los Angeles-area Democrat, said before the vote that he was “encouraged by the bipartisan spirit” surrounding the package.

What’s next: The Senate also approved two special session bills providing a combined $50 million for federal litigation and immigrant legal aid. The Assembly will likely take up the legislation next week. — Eric He

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CALIFORNIA ON FIRE

James Gallagher speaks behind a microphone at his desk.

California Democrats rejected an effort from Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher to add an additional $1 billion in funding for wildfire prevention to a state disaster aid package. | AP

BIPARTISAN LIMITATIONS: That said, Democrats in the Assembly rejected a Republican effort to add an additional $1 billion in funding for wildfire prevention after the GOP claimed that Newsom had slashed funding in recent years — which the governor called a “ridiculous lie.”

Republican Leader James Gallagher pointed to the Hughes Fires that broke out Wednesday as proof that “the next time is already here” and that “we need to do much more and faster.”

Democrats did not discuss the proposal, which Republicans likely knew would be the outcome when they brought it to the floor.

“That was a perfectly good- sense proposal, but unfortunately, it was made by a Republican,” GOP state Sen. Roger Niello told reporters afterwards. — Eric He

KAREN’S FRIENDS: Mayor Karen Bass may be feeling the brunt of the blame game over the Los Angeles wildfires, but she’s still got plenty of friends in the city’s political scene — and now they’re starting to rally to her defense.

The powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor held a news conference today to show support for the beleaguered mayor, who has faced scrutiny for, among other things, her decision to leave town in the days before the fires broke out and whether the fire department had enough resources to battle the historic blazes.

Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Labor Fed, started off the event with a pledge of “unwavering commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with Mayor Karen Bass as we work to rebuild our great city and region.”

Frank Lima, the general secretary-treasurer of the International Association of Firefighters, dismissed the idea that “one person, one mayor” could be responsible for the devastation and instead said there was plenty of blame to go around. He pointed to the city’s past mayors, who had cut funding for the fire department, the City Council, which approved the budgets, and of course, the conditions themselves, which he described as a “once in a generation Biblical moment.”

As a parade of union officials, including those representing city workers and police officers, came to the microphone to assert their loyalty to Bass, it was a clear signal that — current pile-on aside — the mayor’s political capital in Los Angeles hasn’t entirely been incinerated by this crisis. — Melanie Mason

MEA CULPA: Yesterday’s issue incorrectly stated a funding source for the state wildfire aid proposal. The legislative package does not include money from a $10 billion climate bond.

A message from Californians for Energy Independence:

WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY

— Democratic attorneys general, including Bonta, are threatening to sue if the federal government follows through on a new directive requiring local law enforcement to participate in immigration enforcement.

— Elon Musk and Sam Altman got into it on social media yesterday after Trump announced that the OpenAI CEO will team up with SoftBank and Oracle to invest $500 billion in AI infrastructure. (POLITICO)

— California attorney general’s office has an ongoing investigation on OpenAI’s reported plan to convert to a for-profit corporation. (CalMatters)

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AROUND THE STATE

— A video on social media of an Orange County election worker seemingly canning a batch of ballots multiple times has renewed worries about election fraud. But Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page assures people that nothing fishy is happening. (Orange County Register)

— The Consulate of Mexico in Fresno is increasing its efforts to educate Mexican nationals living in California about their rights. (Fresno Bee)

— LA’s state of emergency bars new listings from charging more than $10,000 a month. But the price limit is keeping off the market homes that landlords would otherwise offer to families displaced by the fires. (Los Angeles Times)

— compiled by Nicole Norman

A message from Californians for Energy Independence:

Across California, working families are already struggling. Our state's energy policies are only making matters worse. Bills that make it harder for refineries to provide fuel for California risk costly gas shortages. Policies that shut down our state's local oil production force us to rely on expensive foreign oil. And new mandates could add an additional 47 cents for every gallon of gas.

California can transition to a lower-carbon energy economy responsibly. By continuing to produce the oil and gas we still need in-state, where it meets world-class environmental standards, we can decrease our reliance on foreign oil and protect the stability of our energy supply. But instead, California's energy policies are shutting down local oil and gas production - leading to even higher prices and greater reliance on costly foreign imports. California's drastic energy policies are leaving California's working families behind.

Get the Facts on California Energy Policies.