Trump Effect: LA Bends The Knee, Will Reopen Pacific Palisades To Residents Starting Monday
Two days after President Trump scolded Los Angeles for refusing to allow residents affected by the recent fires to return to their homes, Mayor Karen Bass announced that Pacific Palisades will be completely reopened to residents during daylight hours, starting Monday, Jan. 27.
During a Friday roundtable, Bass told Trump that it was unsafe for residents to return. After residents at the meeting decried the slow response, Bass compromised - saying they could return "within a week."
Trump replied: "That’s a long time, a week. I’ll be honest, to me, everyone standing in front of their house, they want to go to work and they’re not allowed to do it. … They’re safe. They’re safe. You know what? They’re not safe. They’re not safe now. They’re going to be much safer. A week, a week is actually a long time the way I look at it."
We're seeing the most incredible political proposition of my lifetime: What if the President just showed up and used the power of his office to call elected officials and corporations on their bullshit and demand better on behalf of the people? https://t.co/FZq63jbrBE
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) January 26, 2025
Residents of the Palisades began trying to their homes and lots on Saturday - some of whom were able to talk their way past police, according to Breitbart's Joel Pollak, a Palisades resident whose house was spared. Pollak has been reporting from the ground since the fires began.
The county's decision to allow residents to return on Monday came with a caveat; weather permitting, and only until 5:00 p.m., which will allow people to sift through the rubble for belongings, or grieve and make peace with their loss.