California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is taking a friendlier approach to President Trump as he adjusts to the new political realities of governing amid a GOP-dominated Washington.

This week Newsom traveled to Washington to lobby Trump for disaster aid following last month’s catastrophic wildfires in Southern California. Newsom’s tone and approach to Trump was notably more conciliatory compared to his past rhetoric toward the president, with the governor dubbing his relationship with Trump as “one of the more interesting relationships in politics” during a CNN interview on Thursday.

The apparent change in approach comes as Newsom finds himself in a different position than years prior, with Trump and Republicans having made inroads in California last November and Democrats facing backlash for their handling of the wildfires last month.

“It probably serves him well politically in the state,” said Rob Stutzman, a California political consultant who was an aide to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). “Except for extreme partisans, I don’t think anyone has much appetite for fire recovery being a political issue.”

At least 29 people are known to have died as a result of last month’s wildfires that tore through the greater Los Angeles area. The fires destroyed roughly 17,000 structures and tens of thousands of people were displaced from their homes.

Trump traveled to Los Angeles last month, where he was greeted by Newsom, who told the president at the time he had “all the expectations” the two will be able to work together.

Less than a month later, it was Newsom traveling to Trump following a........

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