When President Donald Trump held an event in California to address the catastrophic wildfires that destroyed historic neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Rep. Brad Sherman called him out over his party's repeated threats to withhold or condition disaster relief.
It's the first major disaster response of Trump's second term — although not the first time he has had to visit California after a fire disaster.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has repeatedly said he would like Congress to make certain requirements for California to change its disaster preparedness programs as a condition of receiving emergency aid, even though FEMA already imposes extensive regulations on hazard mitigation for non-emergency aid, and even though Congress hasn't put ad hoc conditions on emergency aid over decades of various disasters across the country.
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Sherman made this point to Trump's face during the event — telling him that it was obvious California was being singled out because of the state's liberal politics.
"I would never turn to somebody from Louisiana and say, 'You keep living on your cousins's couch until Louisiana agrees with me on a woman's right to choose,'" said Sherman.
During the discussion, Trump also bragged about the fact he had even deigned to visit in the first place. "Most presidents wouldn't be here, certainly not after three days," said Trump.
Watch the video below or at the link here.
