Governor Newsom Surveys Rebuild Progress and Clashes with Trump Over AI
Date: December 13, 2025
LOS ANGELES — California Governor Gavin Newsom visited Pacific Palisades and Altadena this Thursday. The visit was focused on meeting with fire victims, thanking those helping with the rebuild, reflecting on the lives lost, and surveying the progress made so far.
Significant Progress in Rebuilding
Governor Newsom highlighted the speed of the recovery efforts, noting that 2,193 permits have been approved as of last week. He compared this progress favorably to other major disasters:
"I'll put that in perspective. Maui lost about 2,200 homes. Two years later, they had 465 homes permitted. I've mentioned Paradise. It was 385 after a full year so there's real progress here. But, that's progress in the aggregate. Nobody lives in the aggregate. Someone at home is watching right now, shaking their head because they may have had a stubborn and frustrating experience, and that's what we have to address."
Newsom emphasized his commitment to the recovery, stating he has already signed 27 executive orders and is willing to sign 27 more if necessary.
Conflict Over Artificial Intelligence (AI) Regulation
The Governor also addressed federal politics, stating that partisan politics have no role in disaster aid or Artificial Intelligence. This comes after President Trump signed an executive order preventing states from enforcing their own AI regulations.
Newsom strongly opposed this move:
- He highlighted California's leadership with the SB53 regulation signed last year.
- He argued that states have the right to regulate companies.
- He called the President's executive order "patently illegal" and vowed to fight it.
Comments on Independent Investigation
Eyewitness News also asked Governor Newsom about his former Chief of Staff, Dana Williamson, who is facing federal charges. Williamson was put on leave over a year ago and has pleaded not guilty to all 23 counts.
Newsom declined to comment on the specifics, citing the need to respect independent investigations:
"If I'm going to criticize Trump for getting involved in those things, I'm going to be careful and say let those independent facts flow."
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