President Donald Trump said those who lost their homes in the Los Angeles County fires should be entitled to a ten to fifteen percent bonus on their house, declaring it is not their fault their homes burned down.
Trump shared his idea at a roundtable with officials in Los Angeles County as fires have destroyed over 16,000 structures and claimed 28 lives in Southern California in recent weeks.
“And I would do one other thing: I’d give them a ten percent, fifteen percent bonus on their house because they went through hell, and they should be allowed to build … give them a little bit lot line bonus, give them a bonus on size, maybe a little bonus on height,” Trump said.
“You know, some of them had houses where they were restricted. They have to have an eight-foot ceiling; you let them have a 10-foot ceiling. Let them build a nice house, a nicer house than they had before,” Trump added.
Trump’s suggestion, which he predicted would be “very well-received,” garnered enthusiasm as the room broke out in applause.
“They deserve it because you know what: It’s not their fault that this fire took place. This fire took place — [it] could’ve been stopped … It’s not the homeowner’s fault, and I think they should be entitled to a bonus on their house,” Trump said.
Trump also announced he would declare a national emergency, which would enable him to waive virtually all federal permitting requirements. He implored Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) to waive local permitting requirements.
“By doing that, I can give you immediate, like, immediate permits. I’d ask that the local permitting process be the same,” he said.
Bass said she is committed to cutting red tape, but Trump, who made his fortune and fame as New York City’s most prominent builder and knows the difficulties of regulation as well as anyone, challenged her on this, leading to a tense exchange.
Trump advocated for people to be able to clean their burned lots now, and Bass claimed they could. However, moments later, Bass admitted that people are not yet able to access their properties.
“You have emergency powers, just like I do, and I’m exercising my emergency powers. You have to exercise them also,” Trump told Bass in the exchange. “Because I looked, I mean, you have a very powerful emergency power, and you can do everything within 24 hours.”
“And if individuals want to clear out their property, they can,” she responded to groans from those in attendance who were challenging Bass’s claim.
“Yes, but you know that you will be able to go back soon,” she admitted. “We think within a week.”
