(Washington) Joe Biden canceled the last foreign trip of his presidency on Wednesday, a few hours before his departure for Rome and the Vatican. He chose to stay in Washington due to the devastating fires raging in California.
Mr. Biden was due to depart Thursday afternoon, after eulogizing former President Jimmy Carter at a memorial ceremony in Washington, for a three-day trip to meet with Pope Francis, President Italian Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The trip was to be the last opportunity to demonstrate the strength of America’s alliances before he leaves office on January 20.
The announcement of the trip cancellation comes just hours after Mr. Biden left Los Angeles after meeting his first great-grandchild, born Wednesday at an area hospital.
He was briefed by local fire officials before returning to Washington, as smoke and ash obscured California’s skies during the day.
“After returning this evening from Los Angeles, where he met earlier in the day with police, firefighters and emergency personnel battling historic fires raging in the area and approved a major disaster declaration for the California, President Biden has made the decision to cancel his trip to Italy in order to remain focused on the federal response in the coming days,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement released in the evening.
A major disaster declaration allows the federal government to release funds for temporary shelter and home repairs, in addition to offering low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses.
The measure also provides additional financial assistance to state and local governments to cover firefighting and cleanup costs.
