Open fire on Trump: California is going for confrontation

Berliner Morgenpost Open fire on Trump: California is going for confrontation Miguel Sanches • 5 hours • 3 minutes reading time California's governor Gavin Newsom is preparing himself against Trump. California is a burned country. It has already experienced a President Donald Trump. "We know how we have to react to that," says Governor Gavim Newsom. The largest, most populous and economically powerful US state wants to immunize itself against Trump. Newsom could set an example for other Democratic governors. As early as December 2, Newsom wants to obtain authorization from the parliament in Sacramento to take action against the central government or to defend himself against attacks: He wants financial resources to bring out the heavy legal artillery against the central government. California is the bastion of the Democrats Newsom is positioning himself, possibly personally too. He has been considered as a presidential candidate for years. Each time he has failed to win. After the devastating defeat, however, California is the last bastion of the Democrats. Here, Kamala Harris won 58.1 percent of the vote, Trump 39.2 percent. The lead was more than two million votes. In California, Trump is taken at his word. During the election campaign, he made threats twice, at a rally in Coachella Stadium and at an appearance on his golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes. Trump knows how to hit the state: by cutting disaster aid. Forest fires rage again and again, currently not far from the metropolis of Los Angeles, and then people are dependent on help. US President has a lot of discretion It's about reconstruction aid, the costs of search and rescue teams, debris removal and infrastructure repairs. Usually, in the event of a storm, flood, fire or terrorist attack, the affected state declares a major disaster and asks for help. The responsible federal agency examines and makes a recommendation to the President. Most of the time they follow it, but they are not obliged to do so. They have a lot of discretion. Trump prefers to use one means: pressure. His threats must be taken seriously. Mark Harvey is convinced of that. Harvey should know. Under Trump, he was senior director for resilience policy on the staff of the National Security Council. Blatantly biased in emergency aid He recently told journalists that after the deadly wildfires in 2018, Trump initially refused to approve disaster aid for California because the state is Democratic. Harvey then took the trouble to go through all the election results. Only after he had proven that more Trump supporters lived in the badly damaged Orange County alone than in the entire state of Iowa did the president give in. This is exactly the kind of special treatment Governor Newsom is expecting again now. And he is not the only one. Brian Rice, president of the California Fire Service, says, "We have found that this behavior is more than just a threat." Unlike their federal association, which strictly adhered to neutrality, the firefighters in California supported Harris in the election campaign, who herself comes from the state. Protecting freedoms from Trump Trump attributes the devastating forest fires to the limited water resources. Newsom should just provide farmers and homeowners with enough water. "We will say: Gavin, if you don't do it, we won't give you any of the fire money that we keep sending you for all the fires and forest fires." Newsom now wants to do everything necessary to ensure that Californians receive the support and resources. Nor will they stand idly by while freedoms "that are dear to us in California" are attacked. This goes far beyond Trump's fire money: California has a liberal abortion and migration policy as well as strict emissions guidelines for vehicles to protect the climate.