Mel Gibson lauds Trump for California visit after wildfires

Film producer and actor Mel Gibson lauded President Trump’s recent visit to California amid the ongoing wildfires and predicted the new commander-in-chief will make things better in the Golden State.

“I’m glad Trump’s here at the moment,” Gibson said during his Friday night appearance on Fox News’s show “Hanitty. “It’s like daddy arrived and he’s taking his belt off, you know? So, I think he’ll get some results here quickly.”

Gibson briefly discussed Trump’s Friday trip to California on Sean Hannity’s show before aiming his criticism toward California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and the state’s tax rates.

“I think, you know, looking at tax incentives, I know Newsom gave some tax incentives, but maybe not enough, because it's still not working,” Gibson said on Friday before saying that it is more financially feasible to shoot a movie in Europe for multiple days then working on it for one day in California.

“And there are other things that offset that. I mean, I had to shoot a film for one day in LA and it was cheaper for me to take the whole crew and fly them to Europe and shoot for three days, lodge them, fly them everything, than it was to shoot one day just down the road. So there's something wrong there, and I think there are solutions,” he said.

Trump visited California on Friday, shortly after making a stop in North Carolina to survey the damage after Hurricane Helene. The president was welcomed by Newsom and other California elected officials. Trump and Newsom have gone after each other in recent days over the state’s response to the Los Angeles region wildfires that have taken the lives of at least 28 people and burned thousands of acres.

Last week, Trump appointed Gibson, alongside stars Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone, as his special envoys to Hollywood. The film actor said was “surprised” by the appointment, but added that his “duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can.”

Gibson's home in Malibu burned down earlier this month. On Friday, he sympathized with thousands of residents who have lost homes in the blazes, praising them as a “good bunch out here.”

“There are those that say, ‘They must’ve done it on purpose.’ I won’t go that far, but if they didn’t do it on purpose, I think they certainly facilitated it,’ Gibson said on Fox News. “And my heart goes out to all the other residents. You meet people all the time who’ve lost their homes. And you talk and commiserate and buck each other up, and everyone’s putting on a brave face. They’re a good bunch out here.”

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