Ahead of his trip, the president threatened to withhold aid from California, which he said had mismanaged its water during firefighting efforts.

But Trump has indicated that he may use the trip to stoke grievances against Democratic rivals. He has complained that his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden did not do enough to help western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene,

President Trump has blamed a lack of water during the Los Angeles fires on California decisions that benefit a small fish. Yet experts say he’s confusing different issues.

Trump is taking aim at water supplies for an endangered fish, but scientists say he’s missing the point. It’s one of California’s thorniest problems. The nation’s most populous state is full of sprawling cities, vast farmland, rich ecosystems — and it must decide how to divide scarce water resources among them.

President Donald Trump is criticizing California water policy as he prepares to tour wildfire damage in Los Angeles