Trump says he came to California to see fire scars

" He added that he was surprised to see images of firefighters removing dried brush near a fire. "This should have been all raked out."

So, the answer is raking out all the 33 million acres of California forestland, and, presumably, keeping it raked out over time.

Only someone who is both stupid and has never raked anything in his life would think this is a feasible solution.

These people are suffering. They are burying their dead and trying to find the missing. The firefighters are beyond exhausted and still working. 

This "person" is not wanted or needed.

Loving the poses. Especially the confident pointed finger and the master planning over the map to help up the firefighters.

Just like Kim Jong Un...the parallels are amazing...

Epitome of American leadership.

Epitome of American embarrassment...

He wasn't as imbecilic as I had expected - but then, that's a low bar. No doubt, he'll return to form in upcoming tweets and lack of follow-up.

Meanwhile, California is proactively working on more practical fire prevention measures. But fires have always been part of California and always will be.

He came for a photo op!!

He came for a photo op!!

Which is what every president does in situations like this.

Good on Trump for acting presidential. The people of California have suffered a great deal and Trump visiting without sticking his foot in his mouth was undoubtedly a morale booster.

Ita reasonable and mature to give credit where credit is due, and Trump is due credit for this. Full stop.

He was such a gentleman to the govoner of California. He didn’t go there for the photo op. He went to demonstrate that the government cares about people. Most of our contact with government is very negative. We meet hositile people with guns who seek to take something from us.

Mr Trump is doing something very positive.

Great work buddy.

This is literally the same phrase I use to commend my dog for peeing in the correct place (ie not on the carpet). And it is just so perfect that Trump supporters use the same language whenever he does something which requires about the same amount of skill (ie not embarrassing himself during a photo op).

Loving the poses. Especially the confident pointed finger and the master planning over the map to help up the firefighters.

I don’t know. Yes, its cool how they let him play firefighter boss and even gave him his own map to play with. But on the other hand at Legoland they let you wear firefighter hats too, so I am not sure this was the best venue to have taken him for these posed shots.

Its reasonable and mature to give credit where credit is due, and Trump is due credit for this. Full stop.

He blamed the fires on California not raking its forests.

(Tiniest golf clap in history to give credit for the stupidest thing a President has ever said in response to a disaster in history).

Great work buddy.

Loving the poses. Especially the confident pointed finger and the master planning over the map to help up the firefighters.

Epitome of American leadership.

If another wrote this, it would be a bit of standard Trump satire - witty but not too clever. Coming from you it is hilarious - almost as though you know it's just a joke, poking fun at your beloved Trump.

I think that you too write with your tongue firmly in your cheek sometimes.

Well most of us know that he didn’t make the decision to go there on his own, and with all the “news” about him not honoring veterans and everything else that he has bumbled this was an opportunity to show that the gubment cares but let’s not hold our breaths, California has been burn for years! It just so happens that this time there was a tremendous loss of life and extensive damage.Him showing up is not going to make things magically become undone.

It’s all about keeping up appearances especially when you know the cameras are rolling. Just one big dog and pony show.

President Trump will probably win in 2020 because he show people who are suffering from tragedy that the government cares. Then when the aid does arrive they have trust in a leader.

The American Democratic party should watch this closely. Their leaders are mostly nearing their 80s and have neither the energy nor the interest in average people. Where are Pelosi, Waters, Schumer???? Its a Democratic stronghold and the only person who shows he cares is President Trump. The Democrats have elderly leadership and a base that is immature and inexperienced. Where are Hillary and Biden??? They don't go because they don't care. They have created a party of arrogant, ill informed robots who can only complain and criticize. They don't even have a leader. The gov of California went, but he wants money and blames everything on the sun and moon.

President Trump is showing leadership he is not doing a photo op. The Obamas and the Clintons don't show up because they don't care and they don't get paid for caring. Trump is doing exactly what Abe would do in the same situation.

He blamed the fires on California not raking its forests.

Not while he was in California. I'm giving him credit for what he did on the ground in California. That said, I'm well aware of the idiotic statements he makes on an hourly basis.

President Trump will probably win in 2020 because he show people who are suffering from tragedy that the government cares

Rarely does he do this. Keep dreaming that his performance in California wasn't the exception to the rule of him acting like arse.

So, the answer is raking out all the 33 million acres of California forestland, and, presumably, keeping it raked out over time.

Pretty much.

Only someone who is both stupid and has never raked anything in his life would think this is a feasible solution.

Apparently, Brown and liberals in that State are unwilling to accept the root causes and as long as they take that route, it’ll happen again.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/15/us/camp-fire-paradise-cause.html

Other causes will also be considered, from a tossed cigarette to a power-mower blade sparking a rock to a hot vehicle tailpipe. Many investors in Pacific Gas and Electric, one of California’s largest utility companies, have already placed their bets and reduced their risk, with the company’s share price plummeting in a wave of selling in fear that the company will be held liable.

These people are suffering. They are burying their dead and trying to find the missing.

The firefighters are beyond exhausted and still working. 

Doesn’t absolve the city and the utilitiy companies from being negligent.

This "person" is not wanted or needed

What?

You see. We ought to be helping our own citizens. Those who’ve lost their homes & loved ones. These displaced people are the ones who need clean water, food, clothes, shelter, tent cities.

Not all those illegals stuck in Tijuana Mexico from caravan. The mayor there has just asked Mexico City for $4M.

A wee story from New Zealand. 20 years ago in Fiordland there was a rain bomb, This caused massive flooding. One small creek(cascade creek) threatened to sweep away the hotel on it's banks.

The Milford Road manager was risking his own life trying to divert the river to save the hotel.

A helicopter flew in carrying the then Prime Minister. The Prime Minister then said he was now in charge of

the rescue operation and started barking orders. The Road Manager, who is GOD on this Road, jumps down from his machine, walks up to the Prime Minister, grabs him by the shoulders, marchers him to the helicopter

picks him up, throws him into the helicopter, orders the pilot to leave NOW!!! which he did.

The Milford Road manager has Total and overall authority. The Prime Minister found out the hard way.

trump fronts up to promote himself, trump does not care about those around him.

Trumps right. Proper management could of saved many lives and homes.

"So, the answer is raking out all the 33 million acres of California forestland, and, presumably, keeping it raked out over time"

He didn't say that, you twisted what he said.

"He came for a photo-op"

Trump could cure cancer, and you guys would complain he took too long.

Epitome of American embarrassment...

thinking the same thing , Trump knows about as much about fire managment as the Japanese Cyber security minister knows about computers.

"He came for a photo-op"

yep most definitely, needed to get some brownie points back for the French dead marines fiasco.

Trump could cure cancer, and you guys would complain he took too long.

Trump is never going to cure anything expecially something as importanant as cancer, so no need to be that optimistic.

Trumps right. Proper management could of saved many lives and homes.

Brian K. Rice, president of the California Professional Firefighters union, blasted Trump's comments on Saturday.

"The president’s message attacking California and threatening to withhold aid to the victims of the cataclysmic fires is ill-informed, ill-timed and demeaning to those who are suffering as well as the men and women on the front lines," Rice said in a statement.

"At a time when our every effort should be focused on vanquishing the destructive fires and helping the victims, the president has chosen instead to issue an uninformed political threat aimed squarely at the innocent victims of these cataclysmic fires," the union president continued.

"At this moment, thousands of our brother and sister firefighters are putting their lives on the line to protect the lives and property of thousands. Some of them are doing so even as their own homes lay in ruins. In my view, this shameful attack on California is an attack on all our courageous men and women on the front lines."

Rice pointed out that nearly 60 percent of California forests are under federal management and added, "It is the federal government that has chosen to divert resources away from forest management, not California."

>

If he DIDN'T go, you guys would be all mad about that...

After watching the initial press conference, Brown -- who arrived while it was in progress, btw -- had a demeanor that appeared to be a lingering sense of shock, bewilderment and despondency. After all, finishing one's time in office as a state CEO with the worst fire disaster in California history ravaging your state and incinerating scores of your trapped constitutes is arguably the worst possible way to end a political career.

As a planet saving Climate Change advocate, Brown believed he had done his part in saving the world from an early demise when he and other like-minded political partners implemented policies that ended prescribed burns; imposed tighter environmental controls and higher prices for timber harvesting permits and imposed a multi billion-dollar cap-and-trade program designed to address global greenhouse gas emissions but most of the $1.5 billion per year went to the boondoggle High Speed Rail Project. 

Former Calif. legislator Chuck DeVore also theorizes that:

”California’s out of control wildfires may have emitted up to 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide this year alone, about 1/8th of the entire state’s annual emissions, largely wiping out two decades of the state’s hard fought greenhouse gas reductions for 2018.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckdevore/2018/11/16/californias-deadliest-fires-could-have-been-mitigated-by-prevention/#626d806c341b

Brown wearing his Climate Change blinders ensured he would focus his mind on the theoretically distant future while marginalizing the dire needs of the present.

Why does everything always have to be Politicized ? These fires were devastating to those impacted, the President had to visit and show that these people's plight was not being ignored. What matters next, are the actions that follow rather than the words spoken.

Brown wearing his Climate Change blinders ensured he would focus his mind on the theoretically distant future while marginalizing the dire needs of the present.

The nerve, how dare he consider climate change in the middle of a disaster experts agree climate change was a major contributing cause to. Better to take the Trump line that all California needs to do is rake all its forests to solve the problem.

He's not needed there in any way

So I take him “showing up” should be seen as him “assessing “ the extent of the damage caused by the fire and making a determination as to how to proceed with the recovery efforts and how much funding it will require as well as resources right?

Yea, great job showing up after the damage has been done!

The local government officials definitely couldn’t have assessed the after effects of a fire :-/

He's not needed there in any way

But he’s the President, he can go wherever he wants to go.

He does not understand the relationship between global warming, shifting climates, and the fires, so he will be unable to help craft a policy response to the phenomenon of hotter and drier climates moving toward the poles of the planet. The best we can hope to get from him is that he will allow the federal purse strings to open up to help in the response to the fires. He does not understand what is going on, no matter how much his little brain struggles.

Just in my lifetime, I have witnessed the start of rainy season out here in the western part of the US shift to much later in the year. November and December have become the months of fire storms, instead of the months of rains. There have always been massive fires out here in the west, but what we are seeing now is different from the historical pattern.

But he’s the President, he can go wherever he wants to go.

This is correct, within the borders of the US.

Trump having gone to California and miraculously not shoving his foot in his mouth is undeniably a good thing. Morale amongst first responders and those that have suffered was boosted by Trump's visit. It's quite amazing that anyone would deny this or not give Trump credit for this.

We all know Trump is a foul human being - and so, apparently, are most of his supporters. He could easily have stayed in DC. He didn't, that is improvement. You will never get anyone to improve without giving them credit for the small victories.

This is correct, within the borders of the US.

Exactly, he’s the President of the US.

We all know Trump is a foul human being -

To some, not to others.

He could easily have stayed in DC. He didn't, that is improvement.

Yeah, but he didn’t.

Exactly, he’s the President of the US.

Great, agreement.

To some, not to others.

Imagine him as your neighbor.

Yeah, but he didn’t.

There is no "Yeah, but" about it. I clearly stated that he did not stay in DC, and that it was an improvement on his general performance of being a foul human being. I'm not certain why you thought you needed to respond in the negative to a proposition we both agree on unless it's knee-jerk partisanship.

A lot of talk about forest management, but I wonder if the bigger problem is allowing urban development within forests. It seem to break with the normal pattern of town-farmland-forest where there is generally a substantial break between towns and forests. That's a big over-simplification, but are there many towns similar to Paradise in California or other parts of the USA?

So sorry California. POTUS rocks.

He had been listening to the prime minister of Finland on how to prevent forest fires.

Unusual for him to listen to the wisdom of foreigners, but apparently the advice from a cold, temperate country on forest management is the one to listen to.

There is no "Yeah, but" about it. I clearly stated that he did not stay in DC,

Of course not, why would he? He went, so it’s a great thing.

and that it was an improvement on his general performance of being a foul human being.

Well, many of us don’t think he’s foul, now many in the Democrat party, that’s an entirely different story.

Burning Bush: "Epitome of American leadership."

Hahaha... very true of this WH, yes.

So sorry California. POTUS rocks.

to some, not to most

I would say, half. Were it most, the Dems would have easily taken the Senate and they didn’t.

It's a nice standard gesture from the president or any president for that matter. And yet anti camp still has reasons to stab. I didn't vote for Trump but I think he's alright. Not a sweet talker but fairly straight forward. Not the nicest person but not a fake gentleman. Since there is so much hate for him, I may even vote for him next time around. Last chance to vote for a politically incorrect candidate I guess.

1) "Forests???" -- Nothing to do with forests! You are uninformed!

2) "Should have been RAKED?" -- Oh my god, it is getting worse. Hopeless.

3) You'll notice the victims SHUNNED him COMPLETELY. They don't like his threats.

90% of bush fires started by arsonists or some peoples recklessly throwing Cigarette out of the car window. The authority will investigate the cause of the fire started. The California doesn't have thick forest and the forest fire was possibly started by arsonists or reckless peoples.

wtfjapan - Rice pointed out that nearly 60 percent of California forests are under federal management and added, "It is the federal government that has chosen to divert resources away from forest management, not California."

> "The president’s message attacking California and threatening to withhold aid to the victims of the cataclysmic fires is ill-informed, ill-timed and demeaning to those who are suffering as well as the men and women on the front lines," Rice said in a statement.

According to the article, the President did not attack California. Trump repeatedly said that forest management practices should be improved. That would include federal, and state, management practices. I assume Rice is just another hater who likes to attack the President regardless of the facts.  -

"We're going to have to work quickly. ... Hopefully this is going to be the last of these because this was a really, really bad one," said the president, who pledged that improved forest management practices would diminish future risks.

....Trump long has struggled to convey empathy to victims of national disasters and tragedies. His first reaction to the fires came in a tweet last week: "There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests."

.....Trump stuck to that theme in his remarks just before departing on Saturday when he outlined what he planned to discuss with Gov Jerry Brown and Gov-elect Gavin Newsom, both Democrats: "We will be talking about forest management. ... The one thing is that everybody now knows that this is what we have to be doing and there's no question about it. It should have been done many years ago, but I think everybody's on the right side."

.....The big problem we have is management." He added that he was surprised to see images of firefighters removing dried brush near a fire. "This should have been all raked out."

According to the article, the President did not attack California. Trump repeatedly said that forest management practices should be improved.

What Trump actually said:

There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!

Trump made a baseless claim that forest management is poor, and threatened california with no more federal payments as a result of this fire.

I would say, half. Were it most, the Dems would have easily taken the Senate and they didn’t.

Millions more Americans voted for Democrats than Republicans in the midterms. This comment betrays a woeful ignorance of both the facts of the matter and of the US political system in general.

lincolnmanNov. 18 07:36 am JSTLoving the poses. Especially the confident pointed finger and the master planning over the map to help up the firefighters.

Just like Kim Jong Un...the parallels are amazing...

Epitome of American leadership.

Epitome of American embarrassment...

He said earlier this year he wanted to be like Kim. Right after kissing Kim's fanny in that so-called 'summit' in Singapore.

What Trump actually said:

There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!

He won't do ANYTHING for these people, except maybe where his vineyards are. A lot of people ain't buying his wine products because they have his name on them. Besides, doesn't he have a concentration camp or two in California with those kidnapped Hispanic children detained - indefinitely??? Like he really cares about THOSE people! Dumpyboy cares zilch about California and he's just making stupid excuses.

And what is that female official in that picture smiling about? If I were her I wouldn't want to be next to him - he might try something mean or aggressive on her.   

UlsterBoyNov. 18 12:51 pm JSTWhy does everything always have to be Politicized ? These fires were devastating to those impacted, the President had to visit and show that these people's plight was not being ignored. What matters next, are the actions that follow rather than the words spoken.

That's just it, it's all an egotistical photo op. He already made his bullying remarks about the forests. Shooting his mouth off like a kid again.

CrazyJoeNov. 18 07:03 am JST" He added that he was surprised to see images of firefighters removing dried brush near a fire. "This should have been all raked out."

So, the answer is raking out all the 33 million acres of California forestland, and, presumably, keeping it raked out over time.

Only someone who is both stupid and has never raked anything in his life would think this is a feasible solution.

These people are suffering. They are burying their dead and trying to find the missing. The firefighters are beyond exhausted and still working. 

This "person" is not wanted or needed.

That's right now. Go around and 'inspect' the ruins and watch other people doing all the dirty work and clean-up jobs and strut around for an ego trip and photo op, posing and making dumb pronouncements like your King Tut or something. Spankee Boy Don never raked up anything in his life - he just stands there like a spoiled kid or Mary Poppins and watches the 'lower caste' folk do all the dirty work and get sick trying to rescue people.  Trumptraitor is so ill-mannered - John McCain banned him from his funeral, the now-quadraleptic George Bush didn't invite him to his wife's funeral, he wasn't invited to Aretha Franklin's funeral (not that he cared anyway), the Royals didn't invite him to that wedding, the Pittsburgh Jewish community told him to get lost, the Eagles football team and the Triple Crown winner wanted nothing to do with him, and he ain't welcome in California either - especially after those bullying remarks he's made.

Millions more Americans voted for Democrats than Republicans in the midterms.

Nothing unusual in midterms, same thing happened in 2010

Your contention was that half of the country support Trump and the Republicans. This is untrue, as millions more voted for the Democratic Party. It’s not just the US political system which seems to confuse you, but basic numbers themselves.

Crazy Joe. You don't rake 33 mil acres. You create fire breaks where everywhere else in the world does to prevent fires from spreading. California used to do this but the enviormentalist said to stop and I guess Cali thought they could save money so for the last 20 years or so Cali fires have been out of control.

It is extremely dangerous to build fire breaks only when a fire is spreading in 50 mile per hours wind. Trump is only echoing when fire experts and land managagment have been saying for a very long time. Even the Japanese government rakes the brush and burns it and creates fire lines.

So there for sorry to say trump is right and many lives and homes could of been saved if they just continued to manage the land correctly.

I wonder If trump said "don't put salt in your eyes." I wonder how many people would grab a salt shaker and shake it into their eyes. Don't let your hate for trump get in the way of logic and proven techniques please.

Only a New Yorker (citified folks) would think that raking is viable to prevent forest fires. It isn't practical to rake millions and millions of acres in the forest.

The Moron-in-Chief keeps on living up to his title.

Finland, including its Prime minister, is currently shaking its head in confusion about "raking", as apparently no such conversation ever took place and that they never rake their forests. The reason they do not have forest fires in Finland is because of the climate.