The January 2025 wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas of Los Angeles were perhaps the most powerful examples yet of the failures of progressive one-party rule and the ruination they bring. Reservoirs were empty, the mayor was out of the country despite advance warnings, fire officials were more concerned with social justice politics than with preventing fires, state forestry regulations left the remains of a small fire smoldering to protect a plant, which in turn led to the devastation…
But the pain for so many has not gone away, as over a year later, tens of thousands are still without their homes — and the pace of rebuilding under Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass barely reaches the level of anemic.
Donald Trump is sick of the endless Golden State failure theater, and on Tuesday, he signed an executive order stating that his administration is taking over and will act like parents to the little children running the declining state.
BREAKING NOW
President Trump signs new Executive Order allowing the federal government to take over the LA wildfire rebuilding and permits process after MASSIVE failures by California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. pic.twitter.com/LYe7waDFKM
— Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief) January 27, 2026
NOT SO GOLDEN ANYMORE: Video: Spencer Pratt Hands Karen Bass Her…Patootie After She Says He’s Running for Mayor to Sell Books
In Section 1 of his order, the president eviscerated California leadership for completely botching both the lead-up and the response to the fires:
One year ago, the California State and Los Angeles city and county governments failed to contain wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles and consumed nearly 40,000 acres of homes and businesses. The State and local governments failed to engage in responsible forest management systems out of a misguided commitment to naturalist and climate policies, which increased the severity of the fires. They failed to maintain water distribution and reservoir systems so that these systems would be available and fully functional in case of emergency. They then failed to quickly communicate evacuation warnings and failed to act decisively or cohesively to contain the fire once it started burning. In fact, Mayor Karen Bass was not in Los Angeles to respond to the crisis because she was traveling abroad. This marked one of the greatest failures of elected political leadership in American history, from enabling the wildfires to failing to manage them, and it continues today with the abject failure to rebuild.
We lost our home of 18 years in the Palisades fires, started the permitting process in April and are still waiting for a permit… Never seen a process so complex and so many different agencies to deal with… it has been a nightmare pic.twitter.com/XUvaqOds5V
— Emmanuel Marques 🎗️ (@emmanuelmarques) January 25, 2026
Permit, baby, permit, the president ordered:
President Trump is sidestepping thumb-twiddling California Democrats with an executive order aimed at fast-tracking the rebuilding of Los Angeles a year after devastating wildfires torched entire city blocks and left thousands homeless.
“I want to see if we can take over the city and state and just give the people their permits they want to build,” Trump told the California Post Friday in an exclusive Oval Office interview when he signed the seven-page order.
Although the fires destroyed an estimated 16,000 structures, only around 2,600 permits have been issued so far.
Trump, who knows a thing or two about real estate, said that he was shocked that over a year later, “there’s nobody building.”
His order also provides for the auditing of California’s use of FEMA funds as well as measures to ensure federal money is “delivered [to affected residents] and utilized swiftly, effectively, and without obstruction by State and local governments.”
Fire survivor Jessica Rogers, the Palisades Long Term Recovery Group Executive Director (and friend of my wife), told RedState:
The news of the executive order from President Trump today issued for the LA wildfires is the greatest blessing since the fire. We are incredibly grateful that our president understands the true needs of the survivors…
The most efficient way to [rebuild]… would be for us to have a direct connection with the federal government through an authority where the funding can be accounted for by locals who were directly impacted by the fires — and eliminate the red tape of the city and the risk of mismanagement of funds.
We’ve seen enough out of Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass, and Co. It’s time for the adults to take charge.
Editor’s Note: Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass, and the “progressives” are ruining California.
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