Back in January, President Donald Trump and Governor Gavin Newsom appeared to start the second Trump administration off on a positive note.

The governor personally greeted the president and First Lady Melania Trump once they disembarked from Air Force One when they arrived in Los Angeles to survey the damage from January’s deadly wildfires. 

“I appreciate the governor coming out and meeting me,” said Trump, shaking Newsom’s hand.

“Thank you for being here. It means a great deal to us,” Newsom responded.  


What You Need To Know

  • Tensions between President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom have ratched up in recent days, particularly after the president federalized the National Guard over the governor's wishes 

  • It comes nearly four month after Governor Newsom made his $40 billion wildfire relief aid request, which the federal government has yet to act upon

  • Some Democrats worry what these public tensions could mean for wildfire relief 

But President Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles, despite Governor Newsom’s objections, has further strained relations between the Trump administration and the Democratic-led state.

“The rule of law has increasingly been given way to the rule of Don,” charged Newsom last week after filing an emergency request for a judge to block the president’s federalization of the guard.

“Gavin’s ridiculous…so ridiculous. By the way, you would if I didn’t bring the military in, Los Angeles would be burning down right now,” said Trump last week during an event revoking California’s clean air waivers that would have allowed the state to ban new gas-powered vehicles within the state by 2035.

The state sued the administration just minutes after the president signed the legislation. 

While an appeals court will hear the case, whether the president has the power to federalize the National Guard against the governor’s wishes, some Democrats are worried that the public feuding between the two men could put the long-delayed $40 billion aid request the state made following January’s deadly wildfires in jeopardy.

“I do worry. I think Los Angeles is often used as a target,” said Rep. Luz Rivas, D-Calif., a freshman member who represents the San Fernando Valley. ”Within a few days of being sworn in, we had these massive wildfires, and while I was here walking the halls of Congress, there were members — Republican members of Congress — that were saying that they did not want any aid to go to Los Angeles.”

While Democrats have often said they take President Trump at his word, including his suggestion that arresting Newsom would be a good idea following a comment from his border czar Tom Homan, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., warned any retaliation in terms of wildfire funding by the administration would be “short-sighted.”

“Instead of picking fights with California, who will be the host of World Cup games and also the Olympic Games, I would think this administration would want to work with the state to make sure we have everything we need to let this administration shine when those games take place,” she told Spectrum News.

“I hope that if there’s any political feuding between politicians, that they never take it out on the American people,” Rep. Laura Friedman, D-Calif., added.

The governor’s office has previously told Spectrum News that it expects a bipartisan, multi-state disaster supplemental aid bill is expected to be introduced later this spring or early summer to support affected homeowners and renters, businesses, health and human services, and wildfire and watershed resilience. 

When asked by Spectrum News whether the public feud between Newsom and Trump would impact fire relief, Energy Secretary Chris Wright downplayed any concerns.

“He’s not the president of Red State America. He’s the president of America. He’s worked tirelessly on issues in New England and California. He doesn’t care what the local politicians are — he wants to advance the cause of Americans. I love that about him,” he said.

Last month, a spokesperson for Speaker Mike Johnson stated that our inquiry for a status update on wildfire funding was “premature,” as the Trump administration had not yet submitted a formal request to Congress to take action. Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., who serves on the House Appropriations committee, argues that it is inaccurate.

“Article I of the Constitution is pretty clear about this. Congress has the power of the purse. We’re the ones who appropriated the funds. We’re the ones who authorized the programs. Period, full stop,” Levin said. “I wish we had more leaders around here and fewer supplicants to the president, I’ll just say that.”

We reached out to the White House for comment on the current status of the governor’s fire funding request, whether the administration supports the $40 billion funding request, and their thoughts on the concerns that the dust-up between the two men could affect fire aid.