Legendary actor and director Mel Gibson, who has called Los Angeles home for many years, had a humorous response to President Donald Trump’s visit to the fire-ravaged city over the weekend.
Trump arrived in California on Friday night, following a meeting with survivors of Hurricane Helene earlier that day in western North Carolina. He promised full federal support for both disaster-stricken areas and urged California’s Democratic leaders to collaborate with him on recovery efforts.
After landing at LAX, Trump surveyed the damage caused by the destructive Pacific Palisades fire, which burned over 23,000 acres. During his tour, the president met with local residents and listened to their concerns about the cleanup efforts and rebuilding strategies.
On Friday night, Trump held a roundtable with state and Los Angeles city leaders, where he pressed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on rebuilding and recovery efforts after residents attending the meeting revealed they were told it would take up to 18 months to get permits and get permission to begin clearing their burned-out property. Others said they were told the process could take up to six months.
“Six months is no good,” Trump said before Bass responded.
“And the number one thing that we are going to do immediately, and you will see this happen, is to clear out the debris. And you know we’re concerned right now over the weekend because of the potential rain, but we are going to move as fast as we can, but we want you to be safe. We want you to be back in your homes immediately,” the former Democrat congresswoman said.
Trump stated that several residents have offered to clear the debris themselves, but the city government has not permitted them to do so. “You should let them do it because by the time you hire contractors, it’s going to be two years. If a family… If people are willing to get a dumpster and do it themselves and clean it out, there’s not that much left. It’s all incinerated,” he said, adding that like him, Bass has the authority to use emergency powers to make things happen much faster.
“Thank you, President Trump for coming to Los Angeles to help us rebuild,” the mayor later posted on X. “We are grateful for your partnership.”
Later in the evening, Gibson, who has consistently expressed his support for Trump, had a humorous response to Trump’s firm handling of California’s Democratic leaders while speaking with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
“It’s like daddy arrived and he’s taking his belt off, ” the legendary actor joked. “So I think he’ll get some results here quickly.”
Earlier this month, Gibson revealed that he, too, lost his Malibu home to the wildfires in an interview with NewsNation.
“I’m doing good. You know, it’s just a thing. But, you know, it is obviously kind of devastating. It’s emotional,” Gibson shared in an interview with NewsNation. “You live there for a long time, and you had all your stuff. You remember George Carlin talking about your stuff?”
Reflecting on the loss of personal items accumulated over the years, he added with a wry sense of humor, “I’ve been relieved from the burden of my stuff because it’s all in cinders.”
The actor was in Austin, Texas, doing a podcast with Joe Rogan when the fires were rapidly spreading. “I was kind of ill at ease while we were talking because I knew my neighborhood was on fire,” Gibson tsaid. “I thought, I wonder if my place is still there. But when I got home, sure enough, it wasn’t there.”
Gibson added that “you meet people all the time who’ve lost their homes. And you talk and commiserate and buck each other up, and everyone’s putting on a brave face. They’re a good bunch out here.”
