Although both were invited, neither Sen. Alex Padilla nor Adam Schiff will join President Trump on his trip to Los Angeles County on Friday.
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Instead, both Democrats will remain in Washington, D.C., where nomination votes are on the docket for Trump’s Cabinet picks.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has said lawmakers will “work as long as needed to confirm President Trump’s nominees. Nights. Weekends. Recesses.” The Senate is scheduled to hold late night and weekend votes on Pete Hegseth, Trump’s defense secretary nominee, and Kristi Noem, his pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, according to Punchbowl News.
“Sen. Schiff greatly appreciates the president’s visit to see the devastation of these wildfires firsthand and the invitation to accompany him and regrets that he is unable to join the president in Los Angeles due to scheduled nomination votes,” said Marisol Samayoa, a spokesperson for the new senator.
A spokesperson for Padilla also confirmed Friday morning that the senator was invited but could not attend.
“The senator regrets not being able to join President Trump in Los Angeles due to the Senate vote schedule,” said Edgar Rodriguez. “He welcomes the president’s support for federal disaster aid to assist the thousands of families and businesses impacted by these devastating fires.”
But Trump, speaking to reporters on the south lawn of the White House early Friday morning, suggested he wasn’t the one to invite Schiff, according to White House pool reports.
“I didn’t invite him. Somebody did,” Trump said, according to pool reports.
Earlier Friday morning, Schiff said he was “glad” Trump was heading to Southern California during what is the first week of his second term in the White House.
“I’m glad that he’s going to see the devastation because frankly, until you see it and the scope of it — whole neighborhoods gone, block after block after block — it’s hard to wrap your head around,” Schiff said during an MSNBC interview. “I hope he can’t help but be moved by what he’s seen, and I would hope also that we can get away from this partisan talk of conditioning aid to California.”
Trump is heading to L.A. after first stopping in western North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic flooding and damage in September. There, Trump is expected to receive a briefing on recovery efforts and meet with families impacted by the hurricane, according to the Asheville Citizen Times.
The president will then head out west, touching down in Southern California before traveling to Las Vegas later Friday.
Details of Trump’s visit to L.A. are scant. Even Gov. Gavin Newsom — who, albeit, has often publicly feuded with Trump and has been the subject of more recent heavy criticism by the president over his handling of the fires — said Thursday afternoon that he had not been in contact with the White House.
Still, Newsom said he planned to welcome Trump on the tarmac when he arrives.
