Trump says he'll visit California on Friday to survey wildfire damage
President-elect Donald Trump confirmed Sunday he will visit Southern California to survey the damage caused by raging wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area that have left at least 27 people dead and thousands of residents displaced.
"Tonight, I also want to send our love to everyone affected by the terrible wildfires raging in California," Trump told his supporters during a rally in Washington at Capital One Arena. "We're going to be there very soon. I'm going to go out there on Friday to see it and to get it moving back."
Trump's visit to Los Angeles will likely be the first official trip of his second term as president following his inauguration on Monday. He vowed to "get some of the best builders in the world" to reconstruct the affected areas across Los Angeles County.
"Together, we will rebuild Los Angeles better, more beautiful than ever before. We're going to get it going," Trump said. "We have the best builders in the world. It's the only people that could do it. Nobody else knows what the hell they're doing."
The remarks come more than a week after Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom invited Trump to visit the state and meet the victims impacted by the fires, saying people should not "politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines."
Tensions flared between Trump and Newsom after the incoming president blasted California leadership for their handling of the wildfires. Trump blamed Newsom for the wildfires on Truth Social and demanded that the governor resign — claiming his policies resulted in water shortages that hindered firefighting efforts.
Newsom has called Trump's claims groundless and urged Trump at a news conference last week not to "play any politics" regarding wildfire response.
The wildfires, which began on Jan. 7, rapidly grew under dry conditions and extremely strong Santa Ana winds. The deadly blazes have leveled entire neighborhoods, destroying more than 10,000 homes, businesses, and other structures.
Contributing: Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump to visit California on Friday to survey wildfire damage