The California Legislature’s top Democrats are finally doing something sensible—separating disaster aid for Los Angeles wildfires from their shameless $50 million anti-Trump legal slush fund. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire told Politico they won’t tie $2.5 billion in fire response to the absurdly titled “Trump-proofing” funds, much to the relief of Republicans who were ready to call them out for playing politics with disaster relief.
This sudden show of pragmatism echoes a similar pledge from Governor Gavin Newsom, who earlier announced the fire aid and called for a special legislative session. Newsom, who usually can’t resist a chance to grandstand against conservatives, seems to have realized that forcing Republicans to choose between helping Southern California recover and funding the state’s anti-Trump tantrum wasn’t a good look. The move spares California Democrats from their own political blunder—though let’s not pretend they’ve suddenly developed a conscience.
Initially, state Senate Budget Committee Chair Scott Wiener had planned to combine the wildfire relief with the anti-Trump funding. Naturally, Republicans cried foul, accusing Democrats of exploiting a natural disaster for political gain. State Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones called the move “a very bad idea,” a sentiment shared by anyone who thinks disaster aid should go to, you know, disasters—not partisan lawsuits.
The agreement to separate the funding doesn’t mean Democrats have abandoned their Trump obsession. According to Politico, Assembly Democrats are still working on Newsom’s plan to pull $1.5 billion from a climate bond and $1 billion from a wildfire emergency fund to bankroll their lawsuit war chest. Because nothing screams “fiscal responsibility” like raiding emergency funds to sue the federal government.
While the Democrats’ decision to decouple the funding streams is a rare moment of common sense, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re still prioritizing their anti-Trump theatrics over real solutions for Californians. Wildfires don’t care about political agendas, but Democrats seem more interested in fighting Trump than fixing their own disastrous policies that have exacerbated fire risks—like their refusal to embrace proper forest management.
This is why people are fed up with leftist leadership. They’re more focused on waging ideological battles than solving real problems. Thankfully, conservatives are ready to step in and do what Democrats can’t—put the people first. It’s time to stop the theatrics and start governing. And if California’s leaders can’t figure that out, they should get ready for some serious political blowback.
