President Donald Trump has ordered the federal government to take control of home rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles County, blasting California Democrats for delaying recovery more than a year after devastating wildfires destroyed tens of thousands of homes.
The move came Friday through a sweeping executive order that empowers FEMA and the Small Business Administration to override California’s permitting process, which the Trump administration says has effectively stalled recovery for thousands of families.
“I want to see if we can take over the city and state and just give the people their permits they want to build,” Trump told the New York Post.
The Palisades and Eaton fires, which erupted in January 2025, wiped out nearly 13,000 homes and structures. But as of this month, fewer than a dozen have been rebuilt—despite billions in federal aid already delivered and record-fast debris removal led by the Trump administration.
According to the executive order, “Overly burdensome, confusing, and inconsistent permitting requirements, duplicative permitting reviews, procedural bottlenecks, and administrative delays have effectively stalled recovery efforts.”
“Only about 2,500 of the tens of thousands of homes and businesses destroyed have received permits to rebuild. Now a year after the fires, less than 10 homes have been rebuilt.”
Trump praised EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for leading last year’s cleanup and announced that Zeldin would now oversee efforts to cut California’s red tape. Zeldin is being tasked with fast-tracking rebuilding efforts and holding state officials accountable.
“Having the federal government, especially with somebody like Donald Trump who is Mr. Let’s-Get-It-Done—who moves at the speed of light—makes a huge difference,” said Pacific Palisades resident Nina Madok, whose home was lost in the blaze.
Frustration has continued to build among residents who blame state and local politicians for dragging their feet. In the immediate aftermath of the fires, Trump personally visited the disaster zone, walking the wreckage with Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. At the time, he urged them to waive permitting requirements and let people rebuild.
“You shouldn’t have any [permits] at this point. You should just let them build,” Trump said.
Mayor Bass agreed publicly to fast-track the process, but more than a year later, almost nothing has been rebuilt. Trump’s new order calls that failure unacceptable—and promises to change it.
“We need capital. We need resources. We need a real plan to get people back home and rebuild the infrastructure,” said Palisades fire survivor Mike Furnari. “Why haven’t we learned from past fire rebuilds? The capital is here. The infrastructure is here.”
Trump’s order also mandates a full federal audit of California’s handling of nearly $3 billion in unspent Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds. FEMA is now tasked with determining whether those funds were awarded lawfully or misused by the state.
Most of the funding was issued as low-interest loans to support home and business recovery, but progress has been alarmingly slow.
The order follows earlier actions by Trump to reform wildfire policy, release firefighting water reserves, and expedite federal disaster response. While California Democrats resisted those moves, Trump said he’s focused on results, not excuses.
The federal government is now in charge. Rebuilding is finally on track. And for thousands of Californians who’ve waited over a year, help may finally be coming.
The post Trump Orders Federal Takeover of L.A. Home Rebuilds as California Red Tape Drags On appeared first on Real News Now.
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