President Donald Trump presented Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass with a signed Bible after an Oval Office meeting focused on recovery efforts from the devastating Palisades wildfires.
According to Western Journal, Bass and Republican Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger spent roughly 30 minutes with the president, briefing him on the status of rebuilding and pressing for substantial federal assistance. The Los Angeles Times reported that the two local leaders used the meeting to push for billions in federal funds to help families and businesses still reeling from the January 2025 inferno.
This afternoon we met with President Trump and Administration officials to advocate for families who lost everything, Bass and Barger said in a joint statement following their White House visit. We had a very positive discussion about FEMA and other rebuilding funds as well as the support of the President to continue joining us in pressuring the insurance companies to pay what they owe and for the big banks to step up to ease the financial pressure on L.A. families.
Bass told the Los Angeles Times that Trump seemed open to their request for $16 billion in federal aid for the city and county, which were hit by catastrophic wildfires shortly before he took office. The blazes tore through Pacific Palisades along the coast and Altadena in the foothills of northeast Los Angeles County in early January 2025, leaving entire neighborhoods in ruins.
Fox News reported that the January 2025 wildfires scorched more than 37,700 acres and destroyed over 16,200 structures, a level of destruction that underscored the need for swift and decisive federal action. The scale of the damage has also intensified scrutiny of Californias long-standing land management and regulatory policies, which conservatives have long argued exacerbate wildfire risks.
Barger, the lone Republican on the five-member Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, praised Trumps demeanor and engagement during the meeting in an interview with CNN. I wish every American could meet our President one on one and theyd understand the love he has for our country and the commitment he has to addressing issues across the board. He could not have been more gracious, she said.
She added that Trump posed tough, detailed questions, signaling that he had been closely tracking the recovery process and the bureaucratic obstacles facing residents. The presidents constructive tone stood in contrast to his earlier criticism of Basss leadership, when he labeled her incompetent earlier this year.
When CNN pressed Barger about the reported swag the president had given them, she did not hesitate to describe the gifts. He gave me hats and a signed Bible, and I will cherish them, she said, emphasizing the personal significance of the gesture.
Barger confirmed that Bass also received a signed copy of the Bible, a symbolic offering that underscored Trumps ongoing effort to place faith and Scripture at the center of public life. The moment came as the president was participating in the America Reads the Bible event in Washington, D.C., where he read from 2 Chronicles 7: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Reality television personality Spencer Pratt, who is challenging Bass in this years mayoral race, seized on the exchange to mock her for accepting gifts from Trump. His reaction highlighted the ongoing tension within progressive circles over any cooperation with a president they routinely vilify, even when federal help is urgently needed.
Trump, for his part, used his Truth Social platform after the meeting to reaffirm his commitment to the regions recovery. I will be working with the Mayor, Supervisor, and everyone else to help this tragic situation go smoothly. In particular, I want to thank our Great EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, for the incredible speed with which he has already accomplished his very complex Environmental work, he wrote.
According to media reports, Zeldins direct involvement with California state and local officials has significantly accelerated the permitting process, cutting through red tape that often stalls rebuilding. His performance offers a practical example of how a focused federal response, grounded in accountability and efficiency, can outperform the sprawling bureaucracies that dominate blue-state governance.
We had been working with the administration ever since (Trump) sent EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin out to help us, and weve been working closely with him, Bass told KNBC-TV, acknowledging the federal role. Administrator Zeldin was a colleague of mine in the House of Representatives. We worked on very controversial issues together.
Barger echoed that assessment, crediting Zeldin with changing the trajectory of the recovery. Zeldins involvement was a game-changer, she said, underscoring how his hands-on approach helped bridge the gap between Washington and local communities.
He helped convey to Trump the problems that still stood in the residents way of rebuilding obstacles that center on insurance and banking, Barger told the Los Angeles Times. By spotlighting those private-sector bottlenecks, Zeldin and Trump have pushed for solutions that rely less on expanding government bureaucracy and more on compelling existing institutions to meet their obligations.
About 2,000 permits have already been approved by city and county agencies, Zeldin said in a Wednesday social media post, reflecting the progress made since federal officials became directly involved. He further noted that the EPA has removed hazardous materials from 13,000 properties, a critical step in allowing families to safely return and rebuild.
The EPA chief also highlighted that the federal Small Business Administration has delivered $3.2 billion in disaster loans, providing a lifeline to entrepreneurs and homeowners trying to recover without becoming permanently dependent on government aid. These measures align with a conservative preference for targeted assistance that empowers individuals and businesses rather than expanding permanent welfare programs.
In December, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom called for $33.9 billion in federal money for wildfire recovery and prevention, a sweeping request that includes the combined $16 billion sought by Los Angeles city and county. As Washington weighs those demands, the Trump administrations more focused, results-driven engagement in Los Angeles stands as a test of whether disciplined federal intervention, coupled with pressure on insurers and banks to honor their commitments, can deliver faster relief than the massive spending packages routinely proposed by Californias progressive leadership.
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