What happened: Conservatives, including President Donald Trump, are falsely claiming that $100 million raised by the FireAid benefit concert for victims of the January 2025 California wildfires is missing in a “Democrat inspired scam.”
Context: Devastating wildfires swept across Southern California in January 2025, leaving at least 29 people dead, and causing $164 billion in property damage and capital losses, according to a February 2025 UCLA report.
On Jan. 30, 2025, California charity FireAid hosted a benefit concert featuring music artists, including Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder, to raise money for the victims. The concert raised $100 million, according to ABC News.
A closer look: Suspicion over the funds emerged after former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, who appeared on the show “The Hills,” posted a TikTok video on May 24 about FireAid with the caption, “Where is the 100 million dollars ????!!” Pratt did not provide evidence of any missing funds. The claim reemerged in July 2025, when Trump raised the issue on Truth Social.
Trump wrote in a July 25 Truth Social post: “‘FIREAID’ IS A TOTAL DISASTER. Looks LIKE ANOTHER DEMOCRAT INSPIRED SCAM. 100 MILLION DOLLARS IS MISSING.” The post received 31,600 likes and 9,000 reposts in three days. Trump later told reporters that he had referred the matter to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
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