President Trump was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on Friday to visit communities that have been affected by the recent fires, his first presidential visit to a state from which he has threatened to withhold federal aid, citing what he called water mismanagement.
Ahead of his visit, Mr. Trump said in an interview on Fox News on Wednesday night that he could withhold federal disaster funds from California, a threat he has made several times.
“I don’t think we should give California anything until they let water flow down,” Mr. Trump told Fox News.
Experts have said that water delivered from Northern California to Southern California played no role in the firefighting response in the Los Angeles area. Water supply problems were mainly the result of shortcomings in municipal systems, officials have said.
Few details about Mr. Trump’s trip to Southern California have been publicly shared, and whether the president would meet with Gov. Gavin Newsom was unclear. In a letter earlier this month, Governor Newsom invited Mr. Trump to visit the state to see the areas that were affected by the fires, to meet with residents and to thank the firefighters who have been working to contain the flames.
“In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines,” Governor Newsom wrote. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans — displaced from their homes and fearful for the future — deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild.”
During his first administration Mr. Trump visited the state in the aftermath of the Camp fire, one of the deadliest wildfires in state history, in Northern California.
A meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Newsom could be an opportunity for a show of bipartisanship in a state that has been ravaged by fires. The two leaders have had an antagonistic relationship at times. In addition to taking issue with how California handles its water, Mr. Trump has been critical over how the state manages its forests. Mr. Newsom has also been vocally critical of Mr. Trump over the years.
Mr. Newsom signed legislation on Thursday to direct $2.5 billion toward fire recovery efforts. In a social media post announcing the relief effort, Mr. Newsom wrote that the legislation was passed unanimously with bipartisan support.
“No ‘conditions.’ No strings attached,” he wrote, adding that he hoped Congress and Mr. Trump would do the same.
