[Donald Trump has spent weeks preparing a shock and awe start to his second term, but a crisis over the raging wildfires in Los Angeles is threatening to distract attention from his big moment. Trump’s team is determined to get a fast start after learning the lessons of his chaotic first term, especially since the Republican monopoly on Washington power may only last two years. Swift border reforms, huge tax cuts and new incentives for oil exploration are already on deck. And the new White House, which is also expected to unveil a slew of early executive orders, has scheduled an Oval Office signing ceremony for Monday before Trump dons black tie for a trio of presidential balls.
But even if most of the flames are doused by Inauguration Day, the sudden prospect of finding billions of dollars in federal aid to rebuild miles of charred homes already threatens to complicate the task of passing Trump’s agenda with a tiny GOP House majority determined to cut federal spending. Trump’s rush to blame Democrats and progressive environmental policies for the catastrophe indicates his antipathy to fighting for federal cash for one of the bluest states in his first weeks in office.
Presidents don’t get to pick and choose their crises, and Trump is considering a visit to Los Angeles in the first few days of his administration that would bring him face-to-face with two leaders he’s already accused of causing the conflagration, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Such a trip would allow Trump to try to establish a “fix-it” persona to cut through what he claims is the calamitous governance of progressives.
The Los Angeles wildfire catastrophe will also provide a personal test for Trump and his tolerance for acting as the president of all Americans. During his last spell in the White House, Trump sometimes suggested that he’d break with established practice and withhold disaster aid to create political leverage against Democratic jurisdictions. He appeared to deeply resent sending hurricane aid to the US citizens of Puerto Rico, for instance, accusing “inept politicians” of using “ridiculously high amounts” to pay off other obligations.
The president-elect’s leadership was especially exposed when there was a clash between an emergency response and his own political interests. During the Covid-19 pandemic, his early commitment to mitigation efforts frayed when it became clear that the crisis and its impact on the economy could harm his 2020 reelection prospects.
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