A family in California accused Sen. Kamala Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom of trespassing on the ruins of its property for a photo opportunity.
Trampas Patten, whose home burned in the wildfires near Auberry, California, said that his parents never gave Harris, who is the Democratic vice presidential nominee, or Newsom permission to stand on their property near the ruins of their home for a photograph, according to a report from KMPH. In a post to Facebook, he condemned the photograph and said his family felt used.
“For the friends of mine that don’t recognize the fireplace in the background, that is what is left of my parents house! What has me really frustrated right now is the fact that these two politicians used my parents loss for a photo opportunity to push their political agenda! Political party wouldn’t have made a difference in this moment,” Patten wrote on Wednesday.
“Decent human beings that have character and class, wouldn’t air someone else’s misfortune on national television!” he added. “Think about this when you go to the polls in a few weeks to vote.”
Harris visited the area on Tuesday with the governor to survey the damage to a nearby elementary school. She posted a photograph of the area that Patten claims is his home and thanked the firefighters for their work battling the blazes. Newsom shared a similar photograph with the caption: “Climate change is real.”
Spent time surveying a burn site with @GavinNewsom in an area that has been devastated by the recent wildfires in California. I’m incredibly grateful for the courage of our brave firefighters and those who have come near and far to help those fleeing the destruction. pic.twitter.com/EHSUPgkOsl
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 15, 2020
Climate change is real. pic.twitter.com/iy1uuRpyQr
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 15, 2020
Patten noted in his post that his parents have been forbidden to return to their home since the blaze began.
“For the record, my parents haven’t even been let back in yet themselves, to sort through what is left of their lives, but these two felt the need to go traipsing around my parents property without permission. I guess those property taxes my parents pay allow politicians to do this! Private property doesn’t exist in California anymore!” he wrote.
His sister Bailee Patten similarly condemned Newsom and Harris.
“When we saw those photos, it was — there aren’t words, because it’s like, we haven’t even seen our house. We haven’t seen our property. There is no house, we haven’t even seen our property,” she posted on Facebook.
The wildfires have destroyed several homes throughout California and Oregon. In a tweet posted Wednesday, Harris said inaction on climate change will lead to more devastating fires.
“It’s time for new leadership in our country. If we are elected, @JoeBiden and I will take seriously the changes in our climate and actively work to mitigate against the damage. It can’t wait,” she wrote.
It’s time for new leadership in our country. If we are elected, @JoeBiden and I will take seriously the changes in our climate and actively work to mitigate against the damage. It can’t wait.https://t.co/VeCSfhxVJQ
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 16, 2020
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Harris and Newsom for comment.
