Just two days before Air Force One touches down in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom doesn't know if he's welcome to join President Donald Trump's wildfire tour. The Democratic governor is willing and able to meet with the Republican president in Southern California on Friday, according to Newsom's office. However, the White House has not issued any guidance to the Democratic governor about his plans. In fact, Newsom's team says it's only aware of the president's visit 'from sources.'
The uncertainty just hours before Trump's arrival underscores the complicated relationship between two of the nation's most formidable political rivals. Newsom, in particular, is navigating a crisis that could undercut his state's recovery and his presidential ambitions.
Newsom described Trump as a uniquely dangerous threat to American democracy for much of last year's presidential campaign. And Trump regularly calls the governor 'scum' — or, to be exact, 'Newscum.'
In recent weeks, Trump and his allies have attacked Newsom's leadership and at times promoted misinformation about California's response. House Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested there should be conditions on federal wildfire aid to force changes in California.
The fires, which had been largely under control, flared again on Wednesday as a huge and fast-moving wildfire erupted in the mountains north of Los Angeles. More than 14,000 structures have been destroyed across Los Angeles County already, and at least 28 people have died.
Newsom's office had yet to hear anything from the White House as of Wednesday afternoon. The governor is scheduled to be in Southern California that day and hopes to meet with the president, according to Newsom spokesman Bob Salladay.
There is precedent for them appearing together. After another horrific fire in 2017, Trump appeared alongside Newsom, who was the governor-elect.
Newsom, 57, is term-limited as governor and already considered a top-tier 2028 presidential prospect. He also needs Trump and his Republican allies on Capitol Hill to deliver massive amounts of disaster relief to rebuild his state.
Newsom has largely avoided any discussion of politics in recent weeks, focusing on the recovery efforts in Southern California. He has issued executive orders to speed up the recovery process.
Already, some would-be political allies beyond California are worried that Newsom's brand is being tainted by Republican criticism.
Since the fires erupted in Los Angeles earlier this month, Newsom has almost entirely abandoned the anti-Trump rhetoric he promoted throughout the last presidential campaign. The focus has shifted to prioritizing the state's response to fires.
Newsom and his team have pushed back against misinformation from Trump and his allies about the fire response, establishing a website to combat such misinformation.
While trying to avoid direct confrontation with Trump, Newsom did not ignore false statements made by the president regarding the fire response.
