Official portrait of President Donald J. Trump, Friday, October 6, 2017. Photo Credit: Shealah Craighead

President Donald Trump visited the former McClellan Air Force Base on Monday, now aptly named McClellan Park, for a briefing on the West Coast wildfires.

Photo Credit: Dex Trembo

The newly redesigned Air Force One touched down at approximately 10:50 AM on Monday, bringing President Trump into the choking, hazy California air.

Upon arriving at McClellan Park, President Trump got right to work, putting the blame for the West Coast wildfires on a lack of generational forest management.

“When trees fall down after a short period of time, they become very dry – really like a matchstick – and they can explode.”

Lazy Forest Management Or Climate Change. Or A Bit Of Both?

Trump made a speech to those attending the event and made a reference to the state’s request for a Federal Emergency Disaster Decree.

“So thank you for being here. We have meetings with FEMA, and we have meetings with a lot of people, having to do with California, Washington State, and Oregon. And I think they’ll go very well. They’re doing an incredible job. This is one of the biggest burns we’ve ever seen, and we have to do a lot about forest management. Obviously, forest management in California is very important. And now it extends to Washington and extends also to Oregon. There has to be good, strong forest management, which I’ve been talking about for three years with this state. So hopefully they’ll start doing that.
In the meantime, we’re helping them up — out in a very big way. We have the best people in the world doing this. We have all of our people from FEMA. We have law enforcement here. We have the Army Corps of Engineers. We have, basically, some other military and military operatives that do this.”

“I’m going to meet with the Governor right now, Gavin Newsom. We’ve worked very well together. I’ve approved the emergency declaration, as you know. And I think we’ll have a very good meeting.”

Nobody Is Doing Anything To Tackle Climate Change. Why Should We?

A reporter asked if climate change played a role in the wildfires erupting around California.

The President shared his opinions and ideas of forest management, referencing the European forestry maintenance methods:

“Well, I think this is more of a management situation. You know, if you look at other countries — you go to other countries in Europe — Austria and Finland and numerous countries — and I talk to the heads. They’re — they’re forest nations. They’re in forests. And they don’t have problems like this. And they have very explosive trees, but they don’t have problems like this.”

President Trump then explained his reasoning for not pushing hard to fight climate change. He explains that other countries will have to tackle the issue as well.

“When you get into climate change — well, is India going to change its ways? And is China going to change its ways? And Russia — is Russia going to change its ways? You know, so you have a lot of countries that are going to have to change because they make up — we’re just a small speck. They make up a big preponderance of the pollution. And so you have to get them to do it, and nobody ever talks about that.”

Let’s Agree To Disagree But It Is Still Climate Change

Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA, USA Photo Credit: Levan Badzgaradze

Governor Gavin Newsom was cordial, receptive, and deferential to President Trump’s ideas concerning forest management. However, Newsom believes climate change to be the main culprit behind these massive fires:

“I’d be negligent — and this is not — and we’ve known each other too long — and, as you suggest, the working relationship, I value. We obviously feel very strongly that the hots are getting hotter, the dries are getting drier. When we’re having heat domes, the likes of which we’ve never seen in our history; the hottest August ever in the history of the state; the ferocity of these fires; the drought, five-plus years; losing 163 million trees to that drought — something has happened to the plumbing of the world. And we come from a perspective, humbly, where we submit the science is in and observed evidence is self-evident that climate change is real, and that is exacerbating this.”

Continuing, Newsom clarified that California will follow the science: “Please, respect — and I know you do — the difference of opinion out here, as it relates to this fundamental issue on the issue of climate change.”

Sunrise Movement Member Disagrees With Trump’s “Forest Management” Assessment. They Say It Is Climate Change.

Mr. Glass with the Sunrise Movement-Bay Area

Mr. Glass of the Sunrise movement agrees with Governor Newsom. There is no time to wait and the debate is over; climate change is real and it is happening now. Photo Credit: Sinead Gray

Watch student intern Selena’s interview with the Bay Area Chapter of the Sunrise Movement member, Mr. Glass.

Demonstrator Krishnia Parker did not get to see President Trump, but she had thoughts to share of his job performance thus far:

“While I didn’t get to see Trump today it was still important to be out there. His ridiculous comments about ‘cleaning’ our forests inspired my sign – it’s just one of countless examples of how he’s shown himself to be unfit for the job. Trump denies climate change and lied to us about the risk of Coronavirus. Both are putting Americans in danger and it’s time for a change.”

Krishnia Parker of Sacramento, California holding a sign that read “Rake America Great Again”, referencing Trump’s infamous post-Camp Fire quote: “If California would merely rake its forests, then the fires wouldn’t happen.” Photo Credit: Sinead Gray

President Donald Trump’s Visit To McClellan Park Brought Supporters

Hundreds of President Trump’s supporters showed up at McClellan Park to wish the President well. Proud supporters waved “Make America Great Again” signs and the American flag to welcome the President to California. Many of the supporters of President Trump that we spoke with wanted us to know that they are “peaceful Americans” who are just “people who are very uneasy about politics in this country.”