BIDEN: Fire away. No pun intended, something funny? LA Mayor Karen Bass fires back at criticisms

During a White House briefing on the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025, President Biden invited questions from reporters with the phrase “fire away — no pun intended,” drawing immediate criticism for the tone-deaf remark while thousands of acres burned and families lost their homes. The briefing also featured Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass defending her administration’s $17 million in cuts to the fire department budget, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff announcing 20 arrests of individuals caught looting in evacuated neighborhoods.

Biden’s “Fire Away” Gaffe

President Biden opened the press question segment of his wildfire briefing by turning to Vice President Kamala Harris, noting that she was “directly affected” by the fires given her California ties, and then told reporters to “fire away — no pun intended.” The quip landed poorly, as the wildfires had already destroyed thousands of structures and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate across the greater Los Angeles area.

The moment was compounded by Biden’s difficulty reading basic information from his prepared notes. When attempting to share the FEMA disaster assistance hotline, Biden stumbled through the number, saying “1-800-2, excuse me, 1-800-2, I beg your pardon” before finally reading the full number: 1-800-621-3362. He also directed affected residents to visit disasterassistance.gov for help.

Despite the stumbles, Biden did announce a significant federal commitment. “Today I’m announcing that the federal government will cover 100% of the cost for 180 days,” Biden stated. He explained that this funding would pay for “debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelters, first responder salaries, and all the necessary measures to protect life and property.”

Biden also emphasized his message to state and local officials: “I told the governor and local officials, spare no expense to do what they need to do and contain these fires in their communities that have really been devastated.” The 100-percent federal cost coverage for 180 days represented an unusually generous commitment and was designed to remove any financial hesitation from the emergency response.

Mayor Karen Bass Defends Budget Cuts

The briefing shifted to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who faced pointed questions about her administration’s decision to slash the fire department budget by approximately $17 million. The budget cuts had become a lightning rod for criticism as the city struggled to contain the wildfires, with critics arguing that reduced funding had left the department ill-prepared for a disaster of this magnitude.

Bass pushed back firmly against the criticism, insisting that the cuts had no bearing on the current crisis. “If you go back and look at the reductions that were made, there were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation that we were dealing with over the last couple of days,” Bass said.

She attempted to provide context for the budget decisions, explaining that some of the confusion stemmed from the timing of fund distribution. Money that had been allocated was scheduled to be distributed later and was intended to support salaries and other operational costs within the fire department, rather than being eliminated entirely.

“I think it’s most important to understand that we were in tough budgetary times,” Bass said. “Everybody knew that. But the impact of our budget really did not impact what we’ve been going through over the last few days.” She pointed to the unprecedented nature of the windstorm, noting that the ferocity of the winds had not been seen in years and represented the real context for the scale of the disaster.

Critics remained skeptical of Bass’s explanation. The $17 million in cuts had included reductions that affected staffing levels and equipment maintenance, and the timing of the cuts — made before the worst wildfire season in the city’s modern history — raised questions about the administration’s priorities and foresight.

LA Sheriff Announces 20 Arrests for Looting

The Los Angeles County Sheriff provided a stark update on law enforcement efforts in the fire-affected areas. “Over last night and this morning, we are up to 20 — 20 individuals who chose to go into our areas and deprive these poor people who have been through so much of their property,” the Sheriff announced. “Absolutely unacceptable.”

The Sheriff explained the legal framework being used to combat looting in evacuated neighborhoods. When an evacuation order is in effect, remaining in the designated area constitutes a misdemeanor under California law. If individuals commit certain crimes while in an evacuation zone, the charges can be elevated to felony level.

“I’m going to be asking our employees to start enforcing that,” the Sheriff said, distinguishing the evacuation order enforcement from a standard curfew. “That is very different than a curfew. Why? Because it’s 24/7. I don’t have to wait for the sun to go down.” The 24-hour enforcement authority provided by the evacuation order gave law enforcement significantly more flexibility than a traditional curfew, which typically only applies during nighttime hours.

The 20 arrests reflected a pattern that had emerged during previous natural disasters, where criminals exploit the chaos and displacement of evacuees to burglarize abandoned homes and businesses. The Sheriff’s announcement was intended both as a status update and as a deterrent to others who might consider taking advantage of the situation.

The Federal Response in Context

Biden’s announcement of 180 days of full federal cost coverage came as part of a broader federal response to the Los Angeles wildfires. The fires had been fueled by extreme Santa Ana winds that created conditions firefighters described as nearly impossible to contain. Multiple fires were burning simultaneously across the Los Angeles basin, stretching resources thin and requiring mutual aid from fire departments across the Western region.

The President acknowledged the frustrations expressed by firefighters on the front lines, noting that the challenges were immense. Firefighters from across the Western region had been deployed to assist, a standard practice during major wildfire events when local resources are overwhelmed.

The combination of Biden’s gaffe, Bass’s defensive posture on budget cuts, and the Sheriff’s looting arrests painted a picture of an emergency response under intense scrutiny from every angle. The political dimension of the crisis was inescapable, with the wildfire response becoming a lens through which broader questions about government competence and priorities were being examined.

Key Takeaways

President Biden told reporters to “fire away — no pun intended” during a briefing on the LA wildfires, drawing criticism for the tone-deaf remark.
Biden struggled to read the FEMA disaster assistance phone number from his prepared notes before announcing 100% federal cost coverage for 180 days.
LA Mayor Karen Bass defended her administration’s $17 million in cuts to the fire department budget, insisting the reductions did not impact the wildfire response.
The LA County Sheriff announced 20 arrests of individuals caught looting in evacuated neighborhoods, with enforcement operating 24/7 under evacuation order authority.
Biden pledged that the federal government would cover debris removal, temporary shelters, first responder salaries, and all measures needed to protect life and property.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio:

Madam Vice President, I know you’re directly affected, so are you far away? No pun intended.
If they contact disasterassistance.gov, anybody who’s lost everything, or anything of consequence, disasterassistance.gov, or 1-800-2, excuse me, 1-800-2, I beg your pardon, 1-800-621-3362.
So today I’m announcing that the federal government will cover 100% of the cost for 180 days. This is going to pay for things like debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelters, first responder salaries, and all the necessary measures to protect life and property.
I told the governor and local officials, spare no expense to do what they need to do and contain these fires in their communities that have really been devastated.
There were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation that we were dealing with over the last couple of days.
It’s most important to understand that we were in tough budgetary times. But the impact of our budget really did not impact what we’ve been going through over the last few days.
Over last night and this morning, we are up to 20 individuals who chose to go into our areas and deprive these poor people who have been through so much of their property. Absolutely unacceptable.
That is very different than a curfew. Why? Because it’s 24/7. I don’t have to wait for the sun to go down.

Full transcript: 454 words transcribed via Whisper AI.