Despite delivering fierce criticism of California’s leaders from afar, President Trump shared a warm embrace with Gov. Gavin Newsom as he set foot on state soil Friday for the first time in his second term. , appeared to pledge support for Los Angeles. The president thanked Newsom, whom he says has often publicly ridden with “Newscam,” greeted him on the tarmac and promised to help “fix” the damage to a fire-scarred nation. he said. “They’re going to need a lot of federal help,” Trump said shortly after exiting the plane, turning to Newsom with a slight smile. “We’re going to need a lot of federal help. Newsom assured the president, patting Trump on the shoulder of his Navy suit jacket, before vowing to “take care of things.”

Trump’s visit to California offers a telling sign that the president and Democratic governors may once again be able to pause their perpetual war of words in the press and social media to work together during a crisis. did.

Among politicians who often spar, the issue is much more than personal feelings, with California needing billions in federal aid to rebuild and local and state entities facing a massive spending spree. Bank to bank for refund.

Newsom was among a collection of prominent California Democrats looking to play nice with Trump in Los Angeles on Friday. Their friendly overtures marked a dramatic reversal from eight years ago, when the party staged a “resistance” to his conservative leadership and widened the political divide across the nation.

With wildfires currently raging across the county, working peacefully with the president may boost their political standing.

But the president’s voyage to deep blue California was still fraught with political tension.

The comments to Newsom about Tarmac came hours after Trump was singing a very different tune. Earlier in the day, North Carolina told reporters that aid to states would require a number of conditions, including the adoption of voter identification laws. Newsom sharply criticized the concept of federal aid hinged on state policy changes in the days before the president’s arrival.

Trump has also repeatedly accused Newsom of veggies, saying the governor is to blame for a dry fire hydrant in the Palisade fire.

After leaving the governor’s office on Friday, Trump doubled down on his focus on water supplies, announcing he was signing executive orders “to open pumps and valves in the North” and “pouring water into Southern California right away.” I said, “As much as possible.”

Local water systems had been pushed to their limits during the fires, and Pacific Palisades’ massive reservoir was off the commission, sparking state and local scrutiny. But experts have debunked Trump’s claims about Southern California’s broader water shortages.

Until hours before Trump touched down, it was unclear whether he and Newsom would even meet face-to-face.

After not responding to Newsom’s calls or invitations to visit the state, Trump agreed to a tarmac welcome from the governor on Friday. The interaction, which marked the first time the two leaders spoke in person since 2020, was relatively brief.

Newsom was not invited to Freewheel’s wildfire briefing, where he was held alongside Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Louisiana Parish Supervisor Katherine Berger, and many Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

The governor, who built his national profile during his first term by opposing GOP commanders, has taken a more contradictory approach to Trump in recent months. Newsom has alternated preemptive strikes, including his call for a special session to increase state legal funding to fight Trump, and pleas for civility and cooperation.

In contrast, Bass adopts a much more measured and conciliatory tone for heads of state.

In an earlier fire briefing, the mayor studiously avoided taking the bait on questions about possible tensions with Trump, instead saying she was “worried” about the president-elect’s hostility toward the nation. I haven’t done that,” he claimed.

While Newsom has largely criticized a lack of communication with the incoming administration, Bass said he received “great calls” with his staff and touted his good relationship with former legislative colleagues close to Trump.

Part of this is deeply ingrained style. The former six-term lawmaker is a decidedly no-nonsense politician who wields her power cautiously. Quiet bearing has been a topic of intense criticism during this crisis, and many Angelenos appeared to be more vocal under fire and yearning for more forceful leadership.

But unlike Newsom’s flashes, the same low-key Mayen is especially well-suited to dealing with an unstable president who needs to not only rebuild the city, but also prepare for something incredibly prominent. You can create a low tone. A resource-intensive event on the horizon.

Los Angeles is scheduled to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the Super Bowl in 2027, and the Summer Olympics in 2028.

Bass, who sat in a prominent position next to First Lady Melania Trump during the fire department briefing, thanked Trump for arriving in the city so soon after the inauguration and said he wanted the city to slow down its efforts. and pushed back on his accusations of running.

“I want you to know that we are promoting it,” Bass told the president.

The president’s visit comes at a moment of acute political vulnerability for the mayor.

The bus was attending a Ghanaian embassy cocktail party when the Palisade fire exploded earlier this month and left the city during the first 24 hours of the firestorm.

Although she has stopped some of her recent in vituperations, questions about her political future still linger leading the nation’s second-largest city. A collaborative relationship with the White House allows Bass to change her own political narrative after the crisis, not to mention ensuring federal dollars continue to flow into city coffers.