President Joe Biden has canceled his planned trip to Rome for a meeting with pope Francis in order to prioritize the federal response to the fast-moving wildfires that have claimed five lives and displaced over 100,000 people.
White house press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that Biden made the decision after he returned to Washington from a trip to Los Angeles to meet with law enforcement, fire and emergency personnel who are battling the fires.
Speaking briefing at a Santa Monica firehouse, Biden said that his administration is ready to do anything and everything as long as it takes to contain the fires and help reconstruct.
President Biden’s trip had been scheduled for Friday to Sunday, and he had also been expected to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
