Biden Cancels Final Overseas Trip to Focus on California Wildfire Crisis

• Biden cancels Vatican trip to focus on California wildfire crisis, prioritizing domestic response over international diplomacy.
• The president shifts plans after meeting his first great-grandchild and receiving briefings on the devastating fires.
• Scheduled meetings with Pope Francis and Italian leaders postponed as Biden addresses U.S. climate challenges.

President Joe Biden has cancelled his planned final overseas trip just hours before his scheduled departure for Rome and the Vatican, opting to remain in Washington to oversee the federal response to devastating wildfires in California.

Biden was originally set to leave Thursday afternoon following a eulogy for former President Jimmy Carter at a memorial service in Washington. The three-day trip included meetings with Pope Francis, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. It was intended to serve as a symbolic conclusion to his presidency as the second Catholic leader in U.S. history and a chance to reaffirm American alliances ahead of his departure from office on January 20.

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The decision to cancel the trip came shortly after Biden returned to Washington from Los Angeles, where he had met his first great-grandchild, born earlier that day. While in California, he also received a briefing from local fire officials about the wildfires that have blanketed the area in smoke and ash, underscoring the urgent need for his leadership during the crisis.

“After returning this evening from Los Angeles, where earlier today he had met with police, fire and emergency personnel fighting the historic fires raging in the area and approved a Major Disaster declaration for California, President Biden made the decision to cancel his upcoming trip to Italy to remain focused on directing the full federal response in the days ahead,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

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The massive Palisades fire, which ignited Tuesday morning while President Biden was in Los Angeles, rapidly spread due to high winds, prompting the president to cancel a planned visit to Thermal to announce the creation of two new national monuments.

During his return flight to Washington on Wednesday, Biden approved a federal major disaster declaration for Los Angeles County. This move unlocks federal funding for temporary housing, home repairs, and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. The declaration also provides financial aid to state and local governments for firefighting efforts and post-fire cleanup operations.

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