Trump To Travel To California To Meet With Wildfire Victims
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) - President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit California wildfire victims this weekend, a White House official confirmed Thursday.
Trump will travel to an as yet unspecified location in California on Saturday to "meet with individuals impacted by the wildfires," according to White House Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters.
Details of his visit haven't been announced, but the president is expected to visit either or both of the cities of Malibu and Paradise, California, according to reports.
His visit will come about a week after he alleged California officials were at fault for not doing enough to prevent the plethora of large wildfires which have ravaged the state in recent years.
In a tweet on Nov. 10, the president blamed "gross mismanagement of the forests" for the deadly wildfires ripping through California. He also threatened to withhold federal payments to the state.
Trump's assertion also ignored the huge federal land holdings in the state and brought a quick backlash, with the president of the California firefighters union describing it as a shameful attack on thousands of firefighters on the front lines.
To ease tensions, the White House sent Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to tour fire-damaged areas and offer assistance to California Gov. Jerry Brown.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)