Trump demands voter ID as condition for California wildfire aid – Washington Examiner
In a recent statement, President Donald Trump outlined his demands for disaster relief funding for California, which is currently dealing with severe wildfires. He called for two specific concessions: the implementation of voter ID laws and reforms to water management in the state. Trump expressed his belief that the state should allow water resources to flow freely, criticizing the current management as politically motivated and detrimental to the region’s wellbeing. He emphasized that he would refrain from imposing similar conditions on funding for North Carolina, where he also expressed a desire to expedite aid. Additionally,Trump has linked these issues to broader criticisms of the Democratic leadership’s response to natural disasters,suggesting that they have mishandled California’s water distribution. He has also floated the idea of tying a federal debt ceiling increase to recovery funding for California.
Trump demands voter ID as condition for California wildfire aid
President Donald Trump named voter ID and water reforms as the two concessions he is seeking from California as Washington considers sending relief to the state as it battles wildfires around Los Angeles.
“I want to see two things in Los Angeles. Voter ID, so that the people have a chance to vote, and I want to see the water be released and come down into Los Angeles and throughout the state. After that, I will be the greatest president that California has ever seen,” Trump told reporters Friday after Air Force One touched down in Asheville, North Carolina.
Trump has repeatedly made unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in California, both before and after his 2020 election loss.
Trump added after a briefing in Fletcher, North Carolina, that he was not considering imposing similar conditions on the Tar Heel state for funding.
“We’re going to do a lot for North Carolina. They’ve been very slow. I don’t know why it’s been so bad,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s for political reasons because they lost the state … but this has been very slow and we’re going to make up for lost time.”
Trump will travel to Los Angeles and the Pacific Palisades later Friday for a tour and to meet with residents affected by the fires after surveying the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.
Trump has repeatedly used the Democratic response to the natural disasters against former President Joe Biden and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), amplifying complaints that fish conservation efforts have exacerbated imbalances between how water is distributed from northern California to the rest of the state.
“I don’t think we should give California anything until they let the water run down,” Trump told Fox News Wednesday night during his first Oval Office interview.
Trump reiterated the view after his appearance in the Roosevelt Room on his first full day in office during an exchange with reporters.
“Los Angeles has massive amounts of water available to it. All they have to do is turn the valve,” Trump said. “They wouldn’t do it because politically they didn’t think it was good. I think it’s great politically. I think they’re dead politically. What they’ve done, they’ve destroyed the city.”
Trump has also floated the idea of pairing a hike in the federal debt ceiling to money for California’s recovery efforts as Republicans seek to pass a funding bill with slim majorities in the House and Senate.
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