Sunday, January 26, 2025

Congresswoman Chu Recounts Speaking With Trump About Support for Eaton Fire Recovery

Chu said the president emphasized time and time again that he would support Californians ‘100 percent’ in our recovery efforts and did not mention conditions

Congresswoman Judy Chu has recounted speaking to President Trump during the January 23 Fire Recovery Briefing in Pacific Palisades, where he pledged support for California’s wildfire recovery efforts.

Trump’s visit came three days after his inauguration.

“In [Friday’s] presidential briefing, I focused on the positive: President Trump emphasized time and time again that he would support Californians ‘100 percent’ in our recovery efforts,” Chu said in her statement. “He did not mention conditions he’d place on California or Los Angeles County for our residents and communities to receive federal natural disaster assistance and that we would receive ‘whatever we needed’ to heal, recover, and rebuild.”

The presidential visit included both aerial and ground tours of Pacific Palisades, where Trump met with affected homeowners and Los Angeles Fire Department officials.

A roundtable discussion followed at a local fire station, attended by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Karen Bass, County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Rep. Chu, Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman, and other officials.

At the briefing, Chu described conditions in Altadena as “apocalyptic” and detailed the destruction of 9,500 structures, noting that most deaths from the fires occurred in West Altadena.

She told the president about the case of Dr. Jacqueline Jacobs, an 88-year-old educator who “finally became the first black administrator of her educational institution, Pasadena City College” before retiring, only to lose her home of 30 years, escaping with only the clothes on her back.

Chu told Trump that thousands of working-class people are without homes and desperately need federal aid.

“Wildfires have no political affiliation or political party,” Chu stated. “These survivors desperately need federal aid and assistance, and don’t deserve to have it delayed or denied because of conditions placed on that aid.”

Chu pointed to the importance of maintaining the close partnership the region had with the federal government from the Biden-Harris Administration, now the Trump-Vance Administration is in the White House.

“As Americans, we have each other’s backs during disasters, and as the president noted, no golden age of the country can begin without a strong Golden State.”