By Katherine Tinsley
12:11pm PST, Feb 12, 2025
Newsom is working alongside President
Donald Trump to finance the city's rebuilding projects.
"Securing critical disaster aid for the survivors of the Los Angeles fires and ensuring impacted families who lost their homes and livelihoods have the support they need to rebuild and recover," Newsom's office told
Newsweek.
The pace of progress could come as a surprise to the public, considering the billions of dollars worth of damage caused.
"This is twice as fast as the Woolsey Fire debris removal," Newsom said, referring to the 2018 fires in Los Angeles County.
"I want to thank all of our state partners; I want to thank the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and their representatives for doing an extraordinary job to date," Newsom said before thanking Trump.
Newsom and Trump have been candid about their political differences, but they're working toward their shared goal of rehabilitating the city.
"This is a massive effort," Newsom noted.
In a separate statement, Newsom reflected on the state's strategy.
"As we approach one month since the devastating wildfires across Southern California, we continue to cut red tape to speed up recovery and clean up efforts as well as ensure rebuilding efforts are swift," Newsom stated.
Trump has been critical of Newsom's efforts, but the Democrat confirmed that he's doing his best to take care of others.
"We're working across the aisle, as we always have, to ensure survivors have the resources and support they need," Newsom revealed.
"Thank you President Trump for coming to our communities to see this first hand, and meeting with me today to continue our joint efforts to support people impacted," he continued.
During a CNN appearance, Newsom took a bipartisan approach to helping Californians.
"At the end of the day, we're Americans," he shared on Thursday, February 6. "When disaster strikes, we set aside our differences and work together to help communities get the aid they need."
