Stephen Miller criticizes California leaders on wildfire rebuilding priorities

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could have used their efforts to safeguard illegal immigrants to rebuild areas of Los Angeles that were devastated by wildfires earlier this year, according to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

“For the amount of effort Bass and Newscum have put into sheltering criminal illegal aliens they could have fully rebuilt the Palisades by now with time and money to spare,” Miller said in a post on X on Sunday. 

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White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Bass and Newsom attracted the ire of President Donald Trump in January after massive wildfires ravaged Los Angeles in January. Specifically, Trump accused Bass of “gross incompetence” and said Newsom should resign due to his state’s response to the natural disaster. 

Altogether, Los Angeles suffered roughly $28.0 billion and $53.8 billion in property damage due to the fires, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation’s Institute for Applied Economics. 

Meanwhile, Trump and the California leaders have continued to spar – particularly after Trump chose to deploy and federalize thousands of National Guard troops along with hundreds of Marines in response to riots in LA that broke out in June, following Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in the city.

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President Donald Trump, center, speaks as first lady Melania Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom listen after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

In response, Newsom blasted the Trump administration for federalizing the National Guard, labeling the move an “unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”

The Los Angeles City Council voted in November to establish Los Angeles as a sanctuary city, barring city resources and personnel from assisting with federal immigration enforcement like ICE. 

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Law enforcement stand during a protest in Paramount, California, on Saturday, June 7, 2025 after federal immigration authorities conducted operations. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Miller also took aim at Bass in a separate post on X on Sunday, in response to an interview she conducted with the New Yorker, where she said that “no city should have to go through an unjustified federal seizure of power.” 

“According to the Mayor of Los Angeles, her city is not part of the federal union, and she is free to import and subsidize infinity illegals,” Miller said. 

Spokespeople for Newsom and Bass did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.