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Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has avoided criticizing President Trump as he has sought disaster aid for fire victims in Los Angeles.
- Published Feb. 5, 2025Updated Feb. 6, 2025, 10:29 a.m. ET
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California met Wednesday for more than an hour with President Trump as he made his case for federal aid to help residents recover from the worst natural disaster the Los Angeles region has ever endured.
It’s a scene few would have predicted even two months ago: a Democrat who served as a reliable attack dog in 2024 sitting down with a Republican president who has enraged liberals since taking office last month. In doing so, Mr. Newsom is believed to have become the first Democratic elected official to meet with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office this term.
The meeting illustrated just how much the governor’s public stance has changed since the election. It initially seemed that Mr. Newsom, who is seen as a potential presidential contender in 2028, was taking his familiar place as a leader of the resistance from his West Coast perch. “California is ready to fight,” he declared on social media two days after the election.
But since then, Mr. Newsom has found himself navigating a political landscape shaped both by Mr. Trump’s electoral gains and the wildfires that tore through two Los Angeles communities, killing 29 people and destroying thousands of homes. As Mr. Trump has threatened to withhold disaster aid from the state, Mr. Newsom has tempered his criticism of the president.
The two leaders had “a very productive meeting” at the White House, Mr. Newsom’s spokesman, Izzy Gardon, said on Wednesday.
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