Friday, October 16, 2020

Trump reverses course, approving assistance for California wildfires

I have no doubt what made for the change was that Trump realized how it revealed how unfitting he is to be the president of our whole country, right before the election.


https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/521468-trump-reverses-course-approving-assistance-for-california-wildfires

By Rebecca Beitsch - 10/16/20 05:47 PM EDT

 

President Trump late Friday reversed course on providing assistance for California’s wildfires, granting the request just hours after denying it.

California has had its most devastating wildfire season in history, currently battling 12 major fires that have burned through more than 4 million acres, according to figures released by the state yesterday.

The White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initially said California hadn’t made a strong enough case for assistance with the September fires that cost the state more than $229 million.

The White House credited House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) along with Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for changing the president’s mind.

“The governor and Leader McCarthy spoke and presented a convincing case and additional on-the-ground perspective for reconsideration leading the president to approve the declaration,” the White House said in a statement.


•••••

Newsom has been vocal in blaming climate change for exacerbating the fires, which Trump disputed when visiting the state last month.

“It’ll start getting cooler. You just watch,” Trump said during a meeting with state leaders.

He pushed back when a panelist said the science disagreed, adding, “I don’t think science knows, actually.

[If climate change has no effect, why are the fires so much worse when the weather is hot, and die back when it cools?]


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