Administration

LA mayor says she had ‘positive discussion’ with Trump on FEMA help for wildfire recovery

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by Ryan Mancini - 04/22/26 10:23 PM ET

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by Ryan Mancini - 04/22/26 10:23 PM ET

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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) on Wednesday said she had a “positive discussion” with President Trump at the White House about Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance for areas of the city still recovering from last year’s devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires.

Bass shared a photo on the social platform X of her and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose 5th District was ravaged by the Eaton fire, in the Oval Office speaking with Trump, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought.

“This afternoon we met with President Trump and Administration officials to advocate for families who lost everything,” Bass and Barger said in a joint statement. “We had a very positive discussion about FEMA and other rebuilding funds as well as the support of the President to continue joining us in pressuring the insurance companies to pay what they owe – and for the big banks to step up to ease the financial pressure on L.A. families.”

“Our job is to fight for our communities,” they added. “When it comes to this recovery, our federal partners are essential, and we are grateful for the support of the President.”

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

California leaders, including Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), and other Democratic lawmakers have called on the president to permit $33.9 billion in FEMA funds to go toward fire recovery aid to rebuild schools, homes, utilities and other infrastructure destroyed by the fires.

FEMA announced in June 2025, five months after the fires destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, that it would provide $3 billion in assistance to homeowners and business owners affected.

Newsom called on the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, to channel funds from a failed ad campaign featuring former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem toward the recovery effort.

“While Kristi Noem poured $220 million of taxpayer money into a political ad campaign featuring herself on horseback, more than $500 million in FEMA funding for LA fire recovery sat stalled on her desk,” Newsom said in a statement after Trump fired Noem last month.

Trump and Republican lawmakers have blamed Bass and Newsom and state policies for the fires’ devastation. The president also attacked State Farm and other insurance companies over the fires earlier this month.

“I have just met with various Political Representatives of the tragedy that took place in California concerning the burning of thousands of once beautiful homes,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It was brought to my attention that the Insurance Companies, in particular, State Farm, have been absolutely horrible to people that have been paying them large Premiums for years, only to find that when tragedy struck, these horrendous Companies were not there to help!”

State Farm previously referred The Hill to its webpage outlining its response to the fires. The page states that the company paid more than $5.7 billion related to 13,700 claims and that its total payments could reach $7 billion.

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