Newsom to meet with Trump at White House over Los Angeles wildfire aid
WASHINGTON -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson with the governor's team says.
The governor flew to the nation's capital on Tuesday to meet with federal leaders as he continues to secure more federal aid for Southern California's recovery efforts from last month's devastating wildfires.
MORE: Trump tours LA wildfires after threats to withhold aid over water policy, voter ID
Newsom will be the first Democrat to have an Oval Office sit-down since Trump was inaugurated. His office said he will also be meeting with members of Congress from both parties.
It comes almost two weeks after the president toured the damage in Los Angeles, where Newsom and Trump had a cordial exchange on the tarmac upon the president's arrival.
VIDEO: Trump's Central Valley dam water release could signal fight ahead
"We're looking to get something completed, and the way you get it completed is to work together. He's the governor of the state, and we're going to get it completed," Trump said on Jan. 24 in Los Angeles. "They're going to need a lot of federal help. We're going to take care of things."
The friendly exchanges marked a change in the two leaders' intermittent relationship. Prior to the president's January visit to the Golden State, Newsom said he had not spoken to Trump since he left office after his first term in 2021.
MORE: President Donald Trump goes off the rails when asked about California wildfires
It remains unclear if Trump will still put conditions on federal disaster relief for California. He and other top Republican Congressional leaders have said they will attach conditions to federal disaster relief, seeking changes to the state's water policies and forest management.
The Democratic governor, who has presidential aspirations himself, was one of the leading voices of "resistance" to Trump's first administration. While the president has signed a barrage of executive orders fueling opposition from the left, Newsom has not been as vocal this time.
At the same time, the governor's Washington trip comes on the heels of the state legislature signing off on $50 million for expected legal battles with Trump's administration, a package of bills Newsom is expected to sign once he returns to California.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
