A family in California is accusing Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Governor Gavin Newsom of trespassing on their property that had been damaged by fire so they could pose for a photo-op.
The Democratic lawmakers were visiting Fresno County to survey the damage caused by the wildfires that have spread across much of the West Coast. They made a stop at Pine Ridge Elementary in Auberry then walked across the street to examine a residence that had been burnt to the ground.
The two were photographed standing in the ashes of the home and Harris shared this photo to her Twitter account.
“The fire just swept through. So everything is gone except the chimney,” Harris commented. “Those chimneys, they remind me – when you look at a neighborhood that’s been wiped out, those chimneys remind me of tombstones.”
Trampas Patten is the son of the homeowners whose property was used in Harris’ photo and he says his family is very upset that these lawmakers can use the family’s tragic loss for a photo opportunity before the family itself were allowed back on the property.
“What has me really frustrated right now is the fact that these two politicians used my parent’s loss for a photo opportunity to push their political agenda! Political party wouldn’t have made a difference in this moment,” Patten wrote in response to the photo. “Decent human beings that have character and class, wouldn’t air someone else’s misfortune on national television!
“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,” he continued. “I guess those property taxes my parents pay allow politicians to do this! Private property doesn’t exist in California anymore!”
His sister, Bailee Patten, told Fox 26 seeing the pile of ashes that was once their childhood home on social media was devastating.
“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,” said Bailee.
Patten called out Newsom for using her family’s loss to “parade it all over social media and news networks to push your agenda.”
“Do you want this kind of leadership, using you and your loss for political gain?!” Trampas asked in his Facebook post.
