President Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday that his feud with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California over immigration protests in Los Angeles could affect whether he approves disaster funding for the deadly wildfires that swept Southern California in January.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, the President was asked if “recent dust-ups” with the Democratic governor would affect California’s request for $40 billion in wildfire aid.

“Yeah, maybe,” Trump said, adding later, “It could impact. You know, hatred is never a good thing in politics. When you don’t like somebody, you don’t respect somebody, it’s harder for that person to get money if you’re on top.”

Trump referred to the governor at one point as “Newscum,” a nickname he has used frequently to insult Newsom amid their recent rancor.

Last week, Newsom sued Trump in an attempt to stop the president’s mobilization of military forces to Los Angeles, where immigration raids had stirred demonstrations that at times included clashes between the police and protesters. He has also needled the president on social media and in interviews, and delivered a televised speech last week accusing Trump of using authoritarian tactics.

On Wednesday, Newsom quickly responded to Trump’s remarks. “Sucking up to the President should not be a requirement for him to do the right thing for the American people,” the governor wrote on X. “These are families who’ve lost their homes, their belongings — the irreplaceable pieces of a life built over decades, reduced to ash. Only a truly disturbed person would threaten to withhold aid from victims because they don’t like someone.”

California received some aid from the Biden administration after the fires erupted in early January but is still waiting for the Trump administration to approve additional funds. The state’s request for $40 billion in long-term recovery funds is currently working its way through Congress and is expected to land on the president’s desk later this year.

Newsom has adopted a more confrontational tone with the president in recent weeks. Earlier this year, he was unusually conciliatory with Trump as he sought disaster aid for his state, meeting the president on the tarmac in Los Angeles as Trump toured wildfire damage and speaking with him in the Oval Office for more than an hour.

Newsom’s approach began to shift when the president announced broad tariffs in April that risked damaging California’s substantial marketplace for international trade. His stance became even more aggressive after Trump moved last week to mobilize thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to respond to the protests in Los Angeles over the objections of Newsom, who said local authorities could manage the unrest

Laurel Rosenhall is a reporter with The New York Times. Copyright 2025, The New York Times.