President Trump is scheduled to travel to both North Carolina and California on Friday for the first trips of his second term, a White House official told The Post Tuesday
Trump had hinted he would visit California to survey the aftermath of wildfires that ravaged the LA area, but had not previously said he would be going to North Carolina to view recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene.
Trump has spoken about both disasters as evidence of failures by Democratic leadership. He mentioned North Carolina, where 200,000 people were impacted by housing damages following the deadly September hurricane, in his inaugural address Monday.
“Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina, who’ve been treated so badly, and other states that are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago,” Trump said in his address.
He then noted the California fires, saying, “we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defense.
“They’re raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country — some of whom are sitting here right now. They don’t have a home any longer. That’s interesting. But we can’t let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That’s going to change.”
The president had written scathing criticisms of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to the California fires in recent weeks, posting on Truth Social, “the incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out.”
“They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?”
The hot words prompted Newsom to extend an invitation directly to Trump to come to the state and see the damage himself.
“I’m going to go out there on Friday to see it and to get it moving back,” Trump announced at his DC pre-inauguration rally on Sunday.
The two-legged trip will cap a whirlwind first week back in the White House for Trump. The 47th president hit the ground running Monday afternoon after his inauguration, signing dozens of executive actions.
