Trump Welcomes Bass, Barger to Talk Fire Relief Funds

Los Angeles leaders may have found a path to billions in federal wildfire recovery funds, and it goes straight through the Oval Office.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and County Supervisor Kathryn Barger met with President Donald Trump in what appeared to be a cooperative meeting as the commander-in-chief was seemingly open to their appeal for $16 billion in federal funding for the city and county, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Barger, who represents an area affected by the Eaton fire, said Trump understands that the city needs “a hand-up,” not a handout, and is willing to give local leaders what they need. “The president is very engaged and very much wants to be part of the solution,” Barger said, noting that Trump also wanted to make sure local officials “continue to do [their] part.”

The sit-down marked a sharp pivot from a year of tension between California officials and the administration, as local, state and federal authorities have butted heads over wildfire recovery funding, disaster response and whether the federal government should have a say in local rebuilding permitting, according to the Times.

The funding request is split evenly between the city and county, with $8 billion for Los Angeles County and $8 billion for the city. The funding, consisting largely of money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency earmarked for communities burned by the fires, is part of a broader $33.9 billion proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom aimed at rebuilding homes, infrastructure and local economies affected by the fires.

Trump earlier this year called Bass “incompetent” for her response to the Palisades and Eaton fires in January 2025.

The president and mayor “had a productive discussion on the Palisades disaster recovery,” a White House official said of Wednesday’s meeting, per the Times. “President Trump and his administration remain committed to helping the people of California recover from the Palisades wildfires, but also expect state and local officials like Mayor Bass to swiftly enable and facilitate reconstruction.”

State leaders, including Newsom, accused the Trump administration of withholding billions in wildfire relief. That led to a lawsuit over recovery funds that never materialized. Newsom met with lawmakers in Washington late last year.

Newsom himself faced scrutiny for his wildfire response plans by officials like Bass and Los Angeles City Council Member Traci Park, who represents the Pacific Palisades area. Last summer, Bass and Park urged Newsom to prevent Senate Bill 9’s application in the Palisades. The law allows homeowners to split one single-family-zoned lot into two and potentially build up to two housing units on each lot; Bass and Park believed developers would swoop in and take advantage of the law by building multi-unit properties.

“I oppose this usage as it relates to rebuilding in the Palisades, and I look forward to continuing to work with Gov. Newsom and state leaders to advocate for the Palisades community and identify a path forward as we continue to rebuild,” Bass said at the time.

— Chris Malone Méndez