Gov. Gavin Newsom departed California on Tuesday to meet with President Donald Trump and members of Congress to discuss federal disaster aid following the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
Newsom came to Washington, D.C., hat in hand.
Late last month, the governor approved $2.5 billion for fire recovery work, which he hopes will be reimbursed by the federal government.
And the state will likely need much more help from the federal government, as the bill to cover rebuilding costs is expected to reach into the tens of billions of dollars.
"The Governor’s trip is focused on 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," spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement.
After the outbreak of the fires early last month, Trump repeatedly criticized Newsom's handling of the immense crisis. He has accused the governor of mismanaging forestry and water policy and, pointing to intense backlash over a perceived lack of preparation, called on Newsom to step down.
"Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!" Trump charged in a social media post on Jan. 8, as he repeated a derogatory name he often labels the governor.
Trump also placed blame for the deadly wildfires on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, another Democrat, and the policies approved by state lawmakers in heavily blue California. In an executive order issued last month, he described management of the state's land and water resources as "disastrous."
Despite remaining friendly in person, Newsom and Trump frequently trade blows on social media. (Pool)
Newsom — the governor of the nation's most populous state, one of the Democratic Party's leaders in the resistance against the returning president and a potential White House contender in 2028 — pushed back against Trump, as the two larger-than-life politicians traded fire.
Disputing Trump, the governor noted that reservoirs in the southern part of California were full when the fires first sparked, and has argued that no amount of water could tackle fires fueled by winds of up to 100 miles per hour.
Newsom also charged Trump had spread "hurricane-force winds of mis- and disinformation."
NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP'S CLAIMS 'PURE FICTION' AFTER HE POINTED FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY
Trump met with Newsom as he arrived in Los Angeles late last month — just four days after his inauguration as president — to survey the fire damage.
Trump had threatened to withhold wildfire aid until certain stipulations were met in California, including changes to water policy and requiring an ID to vote, but now appears willing to work with Newsom.
"Thank you first for being here. It means a great deal to all of us," Newsom told Trump as he greeted the president upon his arrival in Los Angeles last month. "We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your help."
The president declared that "we're looking to get something completed. And the way you get it completed is to work together."
The aftermath of the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 10, 2025. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
The wildfires are far from the first time Newsom and Trump took aim at each other. Their animosity dated back to before Trump was elected president the first time in 2016, when Newsom was California's lieutenant governor.
The verbal fireworks continued over the past two years, as Newsom served as a top surrogate on the campaign trail for former President Joe Biden and then former Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden as the Democrats' 2024 standard-bearer last summer.
Following Trump's convincing election victory over Harris in November, Newsom moved to "Trump-proof" his heavily blue state.
"He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election," Trump responded.
Since their meeting in Los Angeles, Newsom has appeared to be more restrained in his criticism of Trump.
Following Trump's orders, the US Army Corps of Engineers last week opened two dams in Central California, letting roughly 2.2 billion gallons of water flow out of reservoirs.
Trump celebrated the move in posts to Truth Social post on Friday and Sunday, declaring, "the water is flowing in California," and adding the water was "heading to farmers throughout the State, and to Los Angeles."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
But water experts argue that the newly released water won't flow to Los Angeles, and it is being wasted by being released during California's normally wet winter season.
Newsom, apparently aiming to rebuild the working relationship he had with Trump during the president's first term in the White House, didn't raise any objections to the water release.
Fox News' Christina Shaw, Elizabeth Pritchett, Pat Ward, and Lee Ross contributed to this story.
More from Politics
Fox News Politics
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.