Ambassador Ric Grenell, President Trump’s envoy for special missions, said he advised Trump not to spend more on California disasters until the state addresses root issues.
“I’ve told DJT we shouldn’t spend federal money on California if the problems aren’t fixed first,” Grenell said in a post on X.
Grenell also blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mismanagement, citing failures in brush clearing, water access, and widespread loss of fire insurance. Newsom is seeking $40 billion in aid, but is focusing on criticizing Trump instead of addressing the root problems.
It has officially been six months since the Palisades and Eaton fires, with debris mostly cleared but little progress in rebuilding, largely due to state and local delays. Over that time, Newsom has focused on launching a podcast and attacking Trump, positioning himself for a 2028 presidential run. He visits South Carolina’s first primary state this week, touring eight rural counties. He plans to tout his disaster response record, although many Californians argue it has been a failure.
In California…
We live on the ocean but our Governor can’t figure out how to get more water – so he spends millions of tax dollars telling people to not water their lawns and to take faster showers.
We have 33 million acres of forest land but our Governor can’t figure out how…
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) July 6, 2025
