Federal officials visit California to evaluate Los Angeles fire recovery

Rick Grenell, who represented the White House, apparently lashed out after hearing that subcontractors for debris removal were being delayed by trying to find “the right mix” in terms of diversity requirements.

Published: February 6, 2025 10:20pm

New Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, and President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions Richard Grenell on Thursday joined Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in visiting the Pacific Palisades to evaluate its recovery from the devastating wildfire last month.  

Trump already visited the area after a string of wildfires devastated Los Angeles County in January. Two major fires prompted mass evacuations, the Palisades fire and the Pasadena-Altadena fire, dubbed the "Eaton Fire." 

Zeldin, through the EPA, is helping to oversee the cleanup of hazardous materials from burn sites. Zeldin has helped bring the recovery time from 90 days to a projected 30 days, and said the agency is working "round the clock" to speed up the process, according to Breitbart News.

Grenell, who represented the White House in the latest visit, apparently lashed out after hearing that subcontractors for debris removal were being delayed by trying to find “the right mix” in terms of diversity requirements.

“If we hear about specific instances, we’re going to highlight them,” he warned. “That bulls*** can’t happen, okay? We want people who can get here and remove things. I don’t care about the color of their skin, I don’t care if they’re in a wheelchair. We want people to be able to do the job and get it done, and not hold up because we have some quota system.”

The visit comes the day after California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom met with Trump at the White House, imploring the president to provide more aid to the Golden State in its fire recovery efforts. 

Former Vice President Kamala Harris also visited California's Westwood area Thursday, which was impacted by the Palisades fire, per The Hill.

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