California Republican begs Trump to stop threats of cutting off money for his fire-stricken district

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that he had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cut off all money going to help California deal with massive forest fires unless the state adopted his plan of raking leaves.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), who represents a district whose residents have been greatly harmed by this year's wildfires, has now issued a statement knocking the president for his declaration that FEMA money should no longer be used to help people whose houses have been burned down by a natural disaster.

"The immediate problem for fire victims is the first need, and threats to FEMA funding are not helpful and will not solve the longer term forest management regulatory problems," LaMalfa said of Trump's earlier tweet.

The congressman then tried to direct Trump's attention to the people in his strongly Republican district who have been hurt by the fires.

"The President has seen first-hand our fire-ravaged areas in Northern California," he said. "He made the promise to help, and I expect him to keep it."

LaMalfa last year survived the "blue wave" that swamped so many other Republicans, although he won his district by just ten points, a steep drop from his 18-point victory in 2016 and his 22-point victory in 2014.