Western Regional Press Secretary John Santos released the following statement in response to President Trump’s threat to pull FEMA funds from the survivors of California’s deadly wildfires:

“From his government shutdown to his administration’s treatment of immigrants, President Trump is a master in the politics of cruelty. Now, he is threatening to pull congressionally-appropriated FEMA funds from the survivors of California’s deadly wildfires because of political grievances. The announcement, intended to distract from his failure to put 800,000 federal workers back to work, is heartless and aims to inflict pain on the most vulnerable in order to score cheap political points. Americans deserve better.”