In a rare moment, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) is giving credit where it's due, and it's not to California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Bass publicly praised President Donald Trump and his Acting Director of National Intelligence, Richard Grenell, for their swift and effective response to the recent California wildfires that burned down hundreds of homes and businesses. Her remarks sharply contrast with Newsom’s repeated attacks on the Trump administration, exposing a growing rift among top Democrats and raising questions about Newsom's own handling of emergency management.
During an interview with ABC News, Bass said she owed the Trump administration a great deal of praise for its quick response to the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, breaking from what Newsom had previously said about the president.
"When you look at that border today, is there anything good you think the administration has done in these six months at the border?" ABC News host Martha Raddatz asked.
In response, Bass praised the Trump administration for its strong response to the Los Angeles wildfires during its first six months.
"Well, I will heap praise on the administration for the first six months in Los Angeles with the fires," she said.
However, the praise didn't last long because shortly after, Bass criticized President Trump for his immigration policies, calling them punitive and designed to deter people by making conditions miserable.
"If you ask me, is there anything that they have done good in terms of immigration? I don’t know. I don’t think so. I think that the viewpoint has been punitive, has been, let’s make it as miserable as possible so that these people don’t come," she continued.
Newsom has sharply criticized President Trump in recent months, taking aim at Grenell for calling out California's fire and water policies. He’s also blamed the Trump administration for contributing to wildfire spread by neglecting to manage federal brushlands within the state. The governor pushed back forcefully against Trump’s claims that California deliberately withheld water to protect an endangered fish, dismissing the accusation as “pure fiction” and “misinformation.” Newsom also pointed to the strain on the state’s wildfire response, noting that California National Guard firefighting crews were operating at only 40 percent capacity due to Trump’s decision to federalize the Guard for immigration enforcement in Los Angeles. He called for those troops to be returned to assist in critical fire suppression efforts.