by Mary Spiller
January 25, 2025
Trump seems to want L.A. residents to clear their own hazardous waste following wildfires.
President Donald Trump and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass clashed over their responses to the devastating fire damage in Southern California.
During a Jan. 25 emergency roundtable, Trump challenged Bass on the city’s recovery efforts following the 23,000-acre Palisades Fire.
Earlier that day, Trump toured the fire’s aftermath before meeting with Los Angeles city and county officials to discuss strategies for Southern California’s recovery and rebuilding.
Early on, Trump and Bass had conflicting ideas over the projected timeline for when evacuated residents should be able to return to their homes now that fire containment is within reach.
Bass stated, “We are going to do everything we can, slashing regulations, expediting everything so that people can begin the process right away.”
Trump, however, interjected and claimed that he spoke to several evacuated residents during his tour who said they were told they would have to wait 18 months before starting to rebuild.
“We know the one thing is they are saying they will not be allowed to start for 18 months,” Trump rebutted.
Bass responded, “That will not be the case. You know first we have to make sure that [we are] getting rid of the hazardous waste, cleaning things up so that people can start right away… I want you to know that we are expediting that. We absolutely need your help, the federal help.”
Trump — who was inaugurated on Jan. 20 — cited allegedly having met with eight different groups of homeowners who said they were told “18 months exactly” before they would be allowed to rebuild. Trump questioned the importance of removing hazardous waste before bringing residents back to evacuated zones.
“You mentioned hazardous waste. Well hazardous waste… What’s hazardous waste? You’re going to have to define that. We’re going to go through a whole series of questions on determining what’s hazardous waste? I just think that you have to allow people to go on their site and start the process tonight.”
Trump pressed Mayor Bass again during the meeting after she stated that L.A. response teams were moving “as fast as [they] can” to bring residents back home faster.
“But the people are willing to clear out their own debris,” Trump offered. “It doesn’t cost a lot. You should let them do it because, by the time you hire contractors, it’s gonna be two years. The people are willing to get a dumpster and do it themselves.”
“You have emergency powers just like I do. I’m exercising my emergency powers. You have to exercise them also… I mean you have a very powerful emergency power, and you can do everything within 24 hours.”
Bass responded by giving a hopeful timeline of a week before displaced residents would be able to return to their properties.
Following the conclusion of the tense meeting, Mayor Bass publicly thanked Trump for coming to LA to help with rebuilding and relief.
Southern California and parts of Los Angeles have been damaged severely by a series of major fires that burned wildly in recent weeks, spanning over 50,000 acres and killing dozens of people, and leaving others injured. The severity and spread of the fires have forced over 100,000 residents to evacuate their homes and businesses as they burn.
Notably, Trump has expressed disappointment in Democratic politicians and even blamed Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom for the fires. He’s proposed that he could potentially block federal emergency aid to California and all its affected residents unless it adopts new laws more aligned with the conservative party.
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