President-elect Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he will be heading to Southern California to evaluate the devastation left by the intense wildfires around the greater Los Angeles region, which have resulted in at least 27 fatalities and dislocated thousands of residents.

“Tonight, I want to extend our support to all those affected by the dreadful wildfires burning in California,” Trump expressed during a rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington. “We’ll be there very shortly. I will go there on Friday to witness the damage and help restore order.”

Trump’s upcoming trip to Los Angeles is expected to be his first official outing of his second term as president following his inauguration on Monday. He promised to enlist “some of the finest builders in the world” to assist in the rebuilding efforts across Los Angeles County.

“Together, we will reconstruct Los Angeles, making it better and more beautiful than it has ever been. We’re going to get started,” Trump stated. “We have the best builders; they are the only ones who can accomplish this. No one else has a clue.”

These statements come after California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom invited Trump to the state over a week ago, urging him to meet with the victims affected by the fires and to refrain from “politicizing human tragedies or spreading misinformation from the sidelines.”

Tensions escalated between Trump and Newsom after Trump criticized California’s management of the wildfires, blaming the governor in a Truth Social post and insisting he step down — alleging that Newsom’s policies have led to water shortages that obstructed firefighting efforts.

In response, Newsom dismissed Trump’s accusations as baseless and called on him during a news conference last week not to “use any political maneuvering” in response to the wildfire crisis.

The wildfires, which ignited on January 7, quickly surged due to dry conditions and fierce Santa Ana winds. These destructive blazes have wiped out entire neighborhoods, leading to the destruction of over 10,000 homes, businesses, and various other structures.

Contributing: Sudiksha Kochi, YSL News; Reuters