Former Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Los Angeles after President Trump's inauguration, surveying the damage caused by the ongoing wildfires and meeting with first responders.

More than a thousand structures have been destroyed and lives lost as wildfires sweep across parts of Los Angeles.

LA Wildfires

Former Vice President Kamala Harris recently visited Los Angeles to address the devastating impact of ongoing wildfires in the region. During her visit, she assessed the extent of the fire damage and met with first responders. Harris extended her gratitude to the firefighters and volunteers who have been tirelessly supporting affected communities, emphasizing their courage and dedication amidst this crisis. 

Harris, who resides in the Brentwood area, expressed understanding of the challenges faced by those affected, as she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were originally in the evacuation zone, though their home remained unaffected. Her visit took place following her cancellation of a planned trip to Asia and Europe, in order to help direct the federal response to the wildfires. This commitment demonstrates her deep concern and involvement in supporting those impacted.

The visit coincided with the activities of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in California, highlighting the federal government's presence in the state. Despite her exit from the vice presidency, Harris retains some level of protective service for a limited period, underlining the significant security measures often required for former high-ranking officials.



Former VP Kamala Harris visits Los Angeles amid wildfires

As a new administration enters the White House, former Vice President Kamala Harris is in Los Angeles, surveying the damage caused by the ongoing wildfires and meeting with first responders. Let's listen to what she said earlier. Some of the lucky ones, our home is still standing. We wanted to come out, and in particular to this extraordinary community, and just let people know that we see them and that they are cared for. As I said to these courageous and extraordinary firefighters, moments of crisis really do reveal the heroes among us. We went and visited Rural Central Kitchen. The volunteers who are there, some of them who lost their own homes, are there doing the work of taking care of perfect strangers who, in the face of that stranger, they see a neighbor. These are folks who understand the strength and the value of community, which is everyone coming together with a shared sense of purpose and identity as a community of people. I wanted to come by, most importantly, to thank them, those who have volunteered and have brought people together and have sacrificed so much, and our firefighters. I mentioned to these firefighters the fact that California firefighters time and time again prove themselves to be the best at the kind of work that is about dealing with these moments of unprecedented crisis and doing it with extraordinary courage and sacrifice. We know that at least a dozen or more California firefighters lost their own homes, and this is the nature of who these folks are. I went to Paradise after the fire. I have met with countless firefighters who are out there battling these blazes while they know their own homes might be at risk. They do this work to protect people they've never met, out of a sense of duty and, dare I say, a calling to serve, even at great personal sacrifice. So we just came out to thank them, to thank the community, and to just remind us that We have a listening to Kamala Harris speak alongside her husband, Doug Emhoff, in Los Angeles amidst the wildfires that continue to burn. Let's bring in CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe. Ed, we heard her say they're one of the lucky ones. Their home is still standing. They were in the evacuation zone. Tell us the timing of her visit and what she's doing while in the area. Yeah, well, Brentwood is where she lives. Her and Mr. Emhoff there have a home, and for a few days there was touch and go. It was unclear whether her home was actually affected in any way, but ultimately it was not. So she has direct experience, understanding of this situation that continues to bedevil those in Southern California, and had been keenly concerned about what was going on and helping steer the federal response. She canceled a trip to Asia and Europe as the president canceled his trip to the former president now to see the pope to oversee the federal response. Everything she does, however, whether it's in California or anywhere else, is going to be seen through a political lens, unless or until she tells us she's not interested in running for governor of California, which is a possibility, or, of course, running again for president. So no surprise they'd go home to Brentwood tonight after this inauguration. We should point out, by the way, President and First Lady Biden also flew to California. They're going to a different part of the state, up to the north a little bit from Los Angeles for some R&R. But for the Emhoffs, for the vice president, it was to go to their home there in Los Angeles. We expect she's going to split her time between the two coasts, California and New York, as Emhoff resumes his legal career with a firm likely that would have a presence on both coasts. And then we'll see what she decides to do, possibly running for governor. She also pointed out there you saw some Secret Service agents there behind her. As an outgoing vice president, she has protection for at least another six months, possibly longer if there's something more specific. It's kind of one of those things that, you know, former presidents get that protection for life. Vice presidents don't get it forever. Ed O'Keefe with The Interesting Points, as always, thank you so much.

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LA Wildfires