President Donald Trump set two conditions on Friday that he connected to federal aid for California. He was in North Carolina to check on hurricane recovery efforts when a reporter asked if he would stop funding Los Angeles because of its sanctuary city policies.
Trump said, “I want to see two things in Los Angeles: Voter ID, so people can vote, and I want to see water released and flow into Los Angeles and across the state.” He made these comments near Air Force One at Asheville Airport in North Carolina.
He added, “After that, I will be the greatest president California has ever seen.”
to follow, related to disaster aid:
1) Voter ID
2) Let the water flow
He said, “Voter ID for the people of California, and the water to be released. And they’ll get a…”
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office responded on social media, criticizing Trump. They said, “Conditioning aid for American citizens is wrong.” They also stated that California already requires ID to register to vote and defended the state’s water management policies.
They added, “FACT: Under current CA law, you must be a CA resident and US citizen, and provide an approved ID like a driver’s license or passport to register to vote. FACT: 15 states, including Nevada and Pennsylvania, do not generally require voter ID at polls. FACT: California pumps as much water now as it could under previous Trump-era policies.”
As Newsweek reported in September, California does not have a state law requiring ID to vote, and Newsom has signed laws preventing local governments from adding their own requirements.
Democrats and conservatives have different views on election security and water management, but Trump’s hesitation to give federal aid to California is not surprising, given his past criticisms of Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Both Newsom and Bass have faced criticism for their handling of recent crises. Bass has been criticized for reportedly cutting the city’s fire department budget by $17.6 million.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on January 9, “Fire is spreading rapidly for 3 days — ZERO CONTAINMENT. Nobody has ever seen such failed numbers before! Gross incompetence by Gavin Newscum and Karen Bass….And Biden’s FEMA has no money — all wasted on the Green New Scam! L.A. is a total wipeout!!!”
