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Trump says he will use authority to override local permits to speed California rebuilds
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Summary
In remarks at Mellon Auditorium, President Trump praised Lee Zeldin's quick permitting after California fires and said he would use a provision to override local authorities to speed rebuilding, criticizing local leaders and the local EPA's initial guidance.
President Donald J. Trump said he would use federal authority to override local permitting decisions to speed rebuilding after California wildfires, praising Lee Zeldin for getting permits done quickly and criticizing local and state officials for delays.
Speaking about the post‑fire recovery in California, Trump recounted that permits in a hard‑hit area had been completed “in 20 days” and said many residents remain unable to rebuild because of local permitting delays. He criticized the local handling of the recovery and said local environmental officials had told people not to enter burned properties; in response he said the administration authorized entry and that rebuilding approvals would be expedited.
“I'm gonna put you in charge of getting permits,” Trump said to Lee Zeldin from the stage, and added that “there's a provision that you're allowed to do” which he described as enabling federal override of local authorities in a national emergency; he said he would sign measures to enable action “in 2 seconds.” The transcript records the president calling some local leaders “incompetent” and faulting both a mayor and a governor for slow timelines.
What the transcript records and what it does not
The transcript records the president's intent and his verbal description of an unnamed legal provision allowing federal override of local authority in this context, but it does not identify a statute, regulation, or specific administrative mechanism that would be used. The speech includes anecdotal descriptions of permits being processed rapidly in one instance but does not provide documentation, timelines, or the legal basis for a federal override.
Next steps
From the remarks onstage, Trump indicated he would direct action to expedite permits and suggested he would sign enabling measures quickly; the transcript contains no follow‑up timetable, regulatory text, or identification of which federal office would carry out an override.
