Trump clashes with Los Angeles mayor over wildfire cleanup

STORY: :: Trump clashes with Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass over her response to the wildfires

:: Pacific Palisades, California

:: January 24, 2025

BASS: But we are going to move as fast as we can, but we want you to be safe. We want you to be back in your homes immediately."

TRUMP: "But the people are willing to clean out their own debris. It doesn't cost a lot."

BASS: "Yes and they can."

TRUMP: "You should let them do it, because by the time you hire contractors, it's going to be two years."

BASS: "If a family..."

TRUMP: "People are willing to get a dumpster and do it themselves and clean it out."

BASS: "And they can do that."

TRUMP: "There's not that much left. It's all incinerated."

BASS: "That's right."

TRUMP: "And, you know, it's just going to take a long time if - you can do some of it. But a lot of these people I know that guy right there that's talking. I know my people. You'll be on that thing tonight throwing this stuff away and your site will be, it'll look perfect within 24 hours. And that's what he wants to do. He doesn't want to wait around for seven months till the city hires some demolition contractor that's going to charge him $25,000 to do his lot. I think you have to - you have emergency powers just like I do. And I'm exercising my emergency powers. You have to exercise them also."

BASS: "I did exercise them. I signed an emergency declaration."

TRUMP: "Because I looked, I mean, you have some very powerful emergency power and you can do everything within 24 hours."

BASS: "Yes. And if individuals want to clear out their property, they can."

RESIDENT: "But we can't even get in here without Trump."

BASS: "Yes. But you know that you will be able to go back soon."

RESIDENT: "But how?"

RESIDENT: "When?"

BASS: "We think within a week."

RESIDENT: "(Undecipherable)."

TRUMP: "That's a long time. A week. I'll be honest to me everyone standing in front of their house, they want to go to work and they're not allowed to do it. But a week is a long time."

BASS: "And most important thing is for people to be safe."

Residents expressed their frustration over being prevented from returning to their homes sooner.

Mayor Bass said debris was causing the delay and residents’ safety was the city's priority. Trump urged Bass to speed up the process.

Trump has sharply criticized California's response to the wildfires, which have caused widespread destruction this month. He said he would work with California Governor Gavin Newsom to respond to the Los Angeles fires after earlier floating doing away with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Newsom, a Democrat who has had a tense relationship with the Republican leader, told Trump that California would need his support.

Trump has vowed to sign an executive order to overhaul or eliminate FEMA, the main federal agency that responds to natural disasters.

Trump has accused Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of "gross incompetence" and threatened to withhold aid to California.