Trump SLAMS Rep Sherman: every insurance left California; sign EO to open up pumps & valves

Sherman Exchange

“Mr. President without your help they’re only going to get forty three thousand dollars from the federal government even if they have a half million dollars.”

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA):

• Los Angeles area congressman
• Democratic representative
• Financial services committee
• Constituents affected by fires

The $43,000 framework:

• Federal disaster aid cap
• Regardless of loss
• Insufficient for rebuilding
• California insurance crisis exacerbating
• Sherman seeking more

Trump SLAMS Sherman

“You did something Brad with every insurance company in the country left California that’s why you have no insurance because you made it so impossible people that think like you made it so impossible and and me every insurance company.”

Trump’s direct attack:

• Sherman’s role in insurance exit
• “People that think like you”
• Made California impossible
• Every insurance company left
• No insurance coverage

California insurance crisis:

• State Farm, Allstate, Farmers exited
• Various others
• Regulatory framework blame
• Commissioner Lara constraints
• Actuarial impossibility

California Insurance Context

The insurance exit framework:

• State Farm stopped new policies 2023
• Allstate paused 2022
• Farmers limited 2023
• Various smaller insurers withdrew
• California FAIR Plan overloaded

The causes:

• Regulatory rate approval delays
• Proposition 103 framework
• Wildfire exposure
• Reinsurance costs
• Actuarial insolvency risk

Trump on Insurance Framework

“I don’t know I don’t know what I’ll tell you this my thinking I’ve never seen a state where almost nobody has insurance and I said what happened and they said like six months ago they all left and two years ago they had different you know quadrants but they left and you have very little insurance here I mean I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Trump’s observations:

• Unique state (no insurance)
• Six months ago exodus
• Two years different landscape
• Very little insurance
• Unprecedented framework

Water Executive Order

“I’m signing an executive order to open up the pumps and valves in the north we want to get that water pouring down here as quickly as possible let hundreds of millions of gallons of water flow down into Southern California.”

The water executive order:

• Pumps opened north
• Valves adjusted
• Hundreds of millions of gallons
• Southern California receiving
• Immediate redirect

The California water framework:

• Sacramento Delta
• Central Valley Project
• State Water Project
• Delta Smelt environmental restrictions
• Trump overriding

Water Benefit

“And that’ll be a big benefit to you if look if you don’t want it you’re gonna tell me but just I can’t imagine it I tell you who does like it is the fire department when I said that they were very happy with that they didn’t mind hearing that.”

Trump’s framework:

• Benefit to residents
• Fire department particularly
• Water for fire suppression
• Happy reception
• Practical framework

Federal Permits Waiver

“Because we’re gonna wave just about essentially wave all federal permits we’re gonna have you go very quickly because the federal permit can take 10 years we’re not gonna do that we’re not gonna we don’t want to take 10 days.”

The federal permit framework:

• All permits waived essentially
• Typical 10 years
• Want 10 days maximum
• National emergency enabling
• Rapid response

National Emergency

“I would so we’re declaring this a national emergency by doing that I can give you immediate like immediate permits.”

National emergency declaration:

• Immediate permits
• Federal authority expanded
• Environmental review reduced
• Water override enabled
• Various powers

Local Permits

“I’d ask that the local permitting process be the same some of the people were saying they’re gonna have to they’re gonna be forced to wait 18 months for their permits.”

The local permit framework:

• 18 months cited
• Burdensome timeline
• State/county/city authority
• Not federal jurisdiction
• Political pressure

“And and I don’t think you’re gonna do that I can’t imagine that so they are literally in a position right now they’d like to start tonight and they’ll they’ll clean their site they’ll do everything they just want to start and they were very concerned with the 18 months so I’m sure you can get it down to I would say not even 18 days they are ready mayor they are ready to start.”

Trump’s framework:

• Residents ready immediately
• Start tonight preferred
• 18 months unacceptable
• 18 days target
• Mayor Bass pressure

The LA Mayor:

• Karen Bass (D)
• Initially critical of Trump
• Faces political pressure
• Must cooperate
• Federal aid dependency

Melania Slovenian

“Melania Trump speaks Slovenian to victims of the Pacific Palisades fires in Los Angeles.”

Melania Trump framework:

• Born in Slovenia
• Native Slovenian speaker
• Fire victims included Slovenian speakers
• Direct engagement
• Personal connection

The moment:

• Historic
• Multilingual First Lady
• Victim comfort
• Cultural connection
• Beyond English framework

LA Fire Department

“Trump is greeted with applause at he meets with members of the Los Angeles Fire Department.”

LAFD meeting:

• Firefighters greeting Trump
• Applause framework
• Recognition of service
• Heroes framework
• Cooperative framework

The fire department context:

• Front line during fires
• Massive effort expended
• Equipment stretched
• Personnel exhausted
• Federal support appreciated

Los Angeles Fire Department

LA Fire Department:

• 3,500+ firefighters
• 106 fire stations
• Major urban framework
• Wildland-urban interface
• Elite training

Fire chief Kristin Crowley:

• First female LAFD chief
• LA fire response criticized
• Bass appointee
• Political controversy
• Performance review

Water Management History

The California water management:

• Federal framework (Central Valley Project)
• State framework (State Water Project)
• Endangered Species Act (Delta Smelt)
• Environmental restrictions
• Agricultural-urban-environmental conflicts

Trump’s first-term:

• Increased deliveries
• Environmental rollback
• California state lawsuits
• Ongoing litigation
• Biden reversals

Second-term:

• Executive order immediate
• Massive delivery increase
• Fire suppression priority
• Environmental framework secondary
• State override

Insurance Reform Framework

Trump-era insurance reform potentials:

• Federal framework considerations
• State policy changes
• FAIR Plan restructuring
• Actuarial reforms
• Market restoration

California specific:

• Commissioner Lara framework
• Proposition 103 challenges
• Rate approval reform
• Coverage mandates
• Reinsurance access

$43,000 vs Half-Million

Sherman’s framework:

• $43,000 federal aid
• Half-million loss
• Gap enormous
• Rebuild impossible
• More aid needed

Trump’s framework:

• Insurance should cover
• Democratic policy caused gap
• State responsibility
• Structural problem
• Federal aid limited

Sherman Political Context

Brad Sherman:

• 30+ years in Congress
• Financial Services committee
• House banking expertise
• LA area representative
• Progressive framework

Trump’s attack:

• Holding Democrat accountable
• Constituent framework
• Real consequences
• Political responsibility
• Face-to-face confrontation

Significance

Trump’s LA wildfire visit captured:

1. Sherman confrontation: Democratic representative accountable
2. Insurance crisis framework: California policy failure
3. Water executive order: Pumps and valves opened
4. National emergency: Federal permits waived
5. Local permit pressure: 18 days not 18 months
6. Melania Slovenian: First Lady personal connection
7. LAFD meeting: Firefighter support

The Sherman confrontation demonstrated Trump’s willingness to hold Democrats accountable in person. Not behind-the-scenes criticism but face-to-face in Sherman’s district.

The water executive order framework delivered on Trump’s first-term and campaign promises. Water to Southern California, override environmental restrictions, fire suppression priority.

The permit framework — 10 years to 10 days, 18 months to 18 days — represents regulatory rollback. Emergency authority enabling rapid response.

Melania’s Slovenian-speaking moment humanized the First Lady. Multilingual engagement with fire victims including Slovenian speakers. Personal touch.

Key Takeaways

• Sherman on federal aid: “Mr. President without your help they’re only going to get forty three thousand dollars from the federal government even if they have a half million dollars.”
• Trump SLAMS Sherman: “You did something Brad with every insurance company in the country left California that’s why you have no insurance because you made it so impossible people that think like you made it so impossible.”
• Trump on water executive order: “I’m signing an executive order to open up the pumps and valves in the north we want to get that water pouring down here as quickly as possible let hundreds of millions of gallons of water flow down into Southern California.”
• Trump on federal permits: “We’re gonna wave just about essentially wave all federal permits we’re gonna have you go very quickly because the federal permit can take 10 years we’re not gonna do that we’re not gonna we don’t want to take 10 days.”
• Trump on local permits: “Some of the people were saying they’re gonna have to they’re gonna be forced to wait 18 months for their permits … I’m sure you can get it down to I would say not even 18 days they are ready mayor they are ready to start.”