SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KRON) – On the campaign trail, President Trump made a pit stop in California for a briefing on the state’s historic wildfire season.
President Trump’s primary focus for this trip was to get an update on the wildfire situation from state leaders, including Governor Gavin Newsom.
While the two constantly criticize each other, their interaction Monday wasn’t what you might expect.
Air Force 1 touched down in a smokey Sacramento County Monday.
Before his briefing with state emergency management leaders, President Trump reiterated to reporters his concerns with California’s forest management.
“I think this is a management situation, if you look at other countries like Austria, Finland, they’re forest nations, they’re in forests and they don’t have problems like this,” Trump said.
In a round table discussion inside Cal Fire’s hangar, Governor Newsom thanked the president for the approval of 14 firefighting grants and the federal emergency declaration as fires scorched millions of acres across the state.
Newsom acknowledged more work needs to be done with managing California wildlands, the majority of which is owned by the federal government.
But, in a respectful exchange, the governor maintained to the president, the fires are a result of a climate crisis.
Newsom: “Please, respect, and I know you do, the difference of opinion out here as it relates to the fundamental issue of climate change.”
Trump: “Absolutely.”
Newsom: “I appreciate that.”
The president committed to strengthening the state and federal partnership to double down on vegetation management but without mention of climate change.
“We’re working on that very hard together and we’re totally in sync. I think we’re totally in sync,” Trump said.
After his two hour trip here, the president left for a campaign event in Phoenix.