President Donald Trump called out Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, during a roundtable discussion on Friday about the devastating wildfires that killed 28 people and destroyed more than 16,200 structures.
Trump ripped Bass for not exercising her emergency powers effectively to cut red tape and help residents rebuild as quickly as possible.
“You have emergency powers, just like I do, and I’m exercising my emergency powers,” Trump told the mayor. “You have to exercise them also.”
“I did exercise them,” Bass responded. “If individuals want to clear out their property, they can.”
Members of the Palisades and Eaton communities in attendance at the event shouted from their seats that this was not true. Subsequently, Bass rephrased her statement, saying that, eventually, they will be able to clear out their properties.
“You know that you will be able to go back soon,” Bass told the homeowners, who responded by asking when that would be. “I think, within a week,” the mayor replied.
Trump reacted by telling Bass that “a week” is actually a long time, considering the fires started back on January 7.
Bass justified the delay by citing “safety.”
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Trump argued that residents are “not safe now” and said he’s been told by homeowners that they can’t get permits to start the rebuilding process for another 18 months.
“I watched hundreds of people standing in front of their lots, and they’re not allowed to go in,” Trump said. “It’s all burned. It’s gone, it’s done. Nothing’s going to happen, it’s not going to burn anymore. The people are all over the place, they’re standing and they say, ‘We’re trying to get a permit,’ and the permit is going to take them — everybody said, 18 months.”
Residents shouted in agreement with Trump. One female homeowner told the president, “We can’t even see our home right now. We’re blocked from entering our street. The first time we saw our house was yesterday.”
Trump was not done laying into California Democrats, however.
When Republican Rep. Darrell Issa (CA) told the president that they were going to implement practices to stop future fires, Trump interjected, “Like, water — little things like water,” and turned his attention to Democrat Rep. Brad Sherman (CA). “Brad, we’re the party of common sense. You’re not, in all fairness. We like water to put out fires, it’s really quite efficient.”
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Related: LA Mayor Bass Appointee Who Oversaw Fire Dept Was On Leave Over Alleged Bomb Threat
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