LOS ANGELES — President Trump is pushing to take over wildfire recovery in Los Angeles.
Trump signed an executive order Friday attempting to strip authority from the state and local governments to permit the rebuilding of homes and other structures destroyed in the January 2025 fires. The president’s bid drew quick rebukes from Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
“I want to see if we can take over the city and state and just give the people their permits they want to build,” Trump told the California Post when he signed the order.
The president’s move is an unprecedented incursion by the federal government into disaster recovery. Issuing permits for home rebuilding has long been under the control of individual cities and counties, and it’s unclear how the order would affect the ongoing process.
