As a feud between President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to unfold, the president’s latest shot at Newsom is a threat to withhold disaster funding for the wildfires that devastated the LA area earlier this year.
Phil Matier helped breakdown this latest development in the Trump-Newsom stand off this week with Audacy’s KCBS Radio in the Bay Area.
“It’s talk,” said Matier. “What it is, is the president’s on Air Force One and he’s being, you know, hit by reporters with a lot of different questions there, whether it’s about Iran, whether it’s about immigration, or in this case, whether it’s about Gavin Newsom. And one of the reporters asked if, you know, the latest dust up between the Newsom and the president over the national guard being taken over federally... in Los Angeles. They asked, could that affect getting money out of the president for fire relief? And Trump goes, ‘yeah, maybe.’”
Late last month, Trump also hinted that he would withhold federal funding from the state over transgender athletes. That was before the tension between California and the federal government became even greater in the wake of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that then turned into protests.
Newsom has also hinted that California – one of the largest economies in the world – would withhold its federal taxes. However, Matier explained why that plan probably wouldn’t work.
Regarding Trump’s recent answer about disaster funding for California, Matier said it was “about as flippant as you can be.”
According to The New York Times, Trump also said: “You know, hatred is never a good thing in politics. When you don’t like somebody, you don’t respect somebody, it’s harder for that person to get money if you’re on top.”
Of course, that then set off Newsom, Matier noted.
Still, Newsom is seeking to get $40 billion from the federal government to help the long-term recovery efforts needed after the LA wildfires. So far, the state has put $2.5 billion towards the fires, Matier added.
“I’ve seen this before in emergency funding,” he said. “You have one funding that comes in during the fire, and Trump came out with that and rolled with that, even though he was mad at Newsom over the state’s water policies and sanctuary cities.”
As for this new round of money, Matier explained that it is “like when you’re dealing with your insurance company and you bring in a list and inventory and say, I lost this, I loss this. I need this replaced. I need the sidewalks redone.”
With the ongoing feud between Newsom and Trump, as well as Republicans controlling both houses of Congress, Matier said it looks like the $40 billion price tag will be a hard sell for California.
“So the war of words is just the start of what’s going to likely be a protracted battle and Gavin’s going to be on the downside of that one long-term because it's just not lined up for him in Washington the way it used to be,” under former President Joe Biden, Matier said.