After days of sniping back and forth with President-elect Donald Trump over California鈥檚 handling of the fires ravaging Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday invited the incoming Republican president to visit the state and survey the damage.
The Democratic governor signed his public overture 鈥渨ith respect and an open hand.鈥� But he also included praise for outgoing President Joe Biden and implicit criticism of Trump鈥檚 early handling of the tragedy 鈥� reflecting the tricky balance between cooperation and controlling the narrative that Newsom is trying to maintain as he seeks help from his biggest political nemesis to address one of the worst disasters in California history.
鈥淚n the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines,鈥� Newsom wrote in a . 鈥淗undreds of thousands of Americans 鈥� displaced from their homes and fearful for the future 鈥� deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild.鈥�
Since Tuesday, when a series of fires driven by hurricane-force winds began breaking out across the Los Angeles region, Trump has repeatedly blasted Newsom and other California leaders online for and . Frustrations that as crews battled a massive blaze in the Pacific Palisades 鈥� a failure that Newsom on Friday ordered the state to investigate 鈥� has underpinned much of the criticism.
The hostile rhetoric has on earlier threats to withhold disaster aid from California unless the state overhauls its water policy by allowing more supply to flow south to Central Valley farmers and Southern California. That would make it substantially more costly for the state to recover from the Los Angeles fires, which are already estimated to have caused economic losses of more than $50 billion.
Former Trump administration officials told Politico last fall that the president-elect was during his first term. Trump reportedly withheld approval for aid related to California鈥檚 2018 wildfires because of the state鈥檚 Democratic leanings, until aides showed him that many of the residents of the affected areas had voted for him.
On the , he vowed that if the governor didn鈥檛 agree to divert more money to farmers, 鈥渨e won鈥檛 give him money to put out all his fires.鈥�
The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to an inquiry about Newsom鈥檚 invitation to visit.
Because Biden has already issued a major disaster declaration for the Los Angeles fires, unlocking critical aid for the response and recovery, Trump could try to punish California by reversing the order.
That would be an unprecedented move that would almost certainly be challenged in court, said Daniel Farber, a law professor at UC Berkeley.
Federal law gives sitting presidents the power to issue a disaster declaration but does not spell out if they can retract one, Farber said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that ever occurred to Congress that that would be an issue.鈥� He noted that the statute鈥檚 purpose was to dispense disaster aid 鈥渙rderly and efficiently鈥� 鈥� so a president reversing a previous administration鈥檚 declaration 鈥渨ould really undermine the whole premise.鈥�
鈥淚 think there are no backseats,鈥� Farber said.
But Trump could still slow-walk how the Federal Emergency Management Agency distributed funds. That鈥檚 something he did in his first term, after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017. A 2021 federal report in disaster aid to the island.
鈥淗e could definitely let FEMA know to drag their feet,鈥� Farber said. 鈥淵ou say they are dragging their feet deliberately for political reasons, and they just say, 鈥楴o, we are doing the best we can. There鈥檚 a lot of paperwork.鈥欌��
Newsom: 鈥楽ickens me to my core鈥�
Newsom and his administration have pushed back with increasing vehemence against accusations from Trump and other prominent Republicans that a lack of available water, poor vegetation management and bureaucratic incompetence are to blame for Los Angeles fires.
On a video call with Biden on Friday morning, Newsom lamented the 鈥渉urricane-force winds of mis- and disinformation, lies, that people want to divide this country,鈥� which he said were damaging California鈥檚 response efforts.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to deal with this misinformation,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t infects real people that are out there, people I meet every single day.鈥�
A few hours later, in an email to political supporters, Newsom explicitly called out Trump and his allies for their 鈥減olitically motivated lies鈥� about the fires, which 鈥渟ickens me to my core,鈥� he wrote.
His letter to Trump, released not long after, was far softer. Newsom invoked their joint visits to Paradise and Malibu in 2018 to tour the devastation from the deadly Camp and Woolsey fires.
鈥淎s you prepare to assume the presidency once more, I invite you to come to California again 鈥� to meet with the Americans affected by these fires, see the devastation firsthand, and join me and others in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who are putting their lives on the line,鈥� Newsom wrote.
But Bob Salladay, a spokesperson for the governor, said the invitation was not an attempt to reset their relationship, nor would Newsom soft-pedal his criticism about Trump鈥檚 behavior.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a binary choice,鈥� Salladay said in a text message. 鈥淲e will have to engage with the Trump administration 鈥� he鈥檚 going to be the president.鈥�
鈥淎s for the letter, we would like to see the President-elect out here to show some compassion and interest in the people of California and Los Angeles,鈥� he added. 鈥淣othing more than that. His response will speak volumes.鈥�
State Sen. Roger Niello, a Roseville Republican, suggested that the California GOP could help Newsom navigate the complicated dynamics with the Trump administration 鈥� although he said the governor has yet to ask.
鈥淭hough we鈥檙e in the minority, we do have a number of Republican legislators who have relationships with Republicans in Washington, D.C.,鈥� Niello said. 鈥淭o the extent that there are any challenges there, to the extent that we have a common approach toward things, we could assist.鈥�
CalMatters reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn contributed to this report.