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Whatever your flavor of the day philosophically, it is about whether it’s being caused by climate change, which I think is a major contributing factor—bad things are going to keep happening. And when they do, the best model is that the president, the governor and the mayor link arms and go, we may disagree on whether the sun’s rising or falling, but we’re going to take care of people… And that did not happen in Los Angeles.
Mitch Landrieu, 61st Mayor of New Orleans
Note: Some curse words are used in this discussion.
In the previous episode, Mitch Landrieu discussed his upbringing, including the impact his father had on race relations in New Orleans and how this informed Mitch’s leadership during some of city’s toughest hours. In the second half of this conversation, we get his unvarnished perspective on changes in the federal approach to the budget, humanitarian aid, and personnel– matters closely related to his experience in Louisiana state and local government.
Disasters on the scale of Hurricane Katrina were once relatively rare. Today, they are occurring with greater frequency and intensity. According to Climate Central, the 1980s averaged 82 days between billion-dollar disasters; for the five years between 2019 and 2023, that average gap shrank to just 16 days. The average annual cost of these events has more than tripled— from $28 billion in 1984 to $101 billion today.
The Palisades, Hurst and Eaton fires in Los Angeles began the 2025 list of devastating national disasters, resulting in over 37,000 acres burned and an estimated $30 to $50 billion in damages. Having worked with the federal government through several recovery processes in his own state, Mayor Landrieu has some concerns with how the delivery of disaster aid was managed for California.
Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and Mitch Landrieu discuss the stakes and responsibilities of governing in the face of national disaster and global conflict.
We’ve taken a new approach with this episode, take a listen and let us know what you think by leaving a review on your preferred podcast platform.
Related articles and resources:
Governing Through Times of Crisis and Opportunity with Mayor Mitch Landrieu – Part 1
“Americans’ Deepening Mistrust of Institutions” (Pew Charitable Trust, Oct. 2024)
“Americans agree more than they might think—not knowing this jeopardizes the nation’s shared values” (The Conversation, Nov. 2024)
“Johnson opens door to linking voter ID to California disaster aid after Trump demand” (The Hill, Jan. 2025)
“Trump threatens to withhold aid for California wildfires in first TV interview since inauguration” (The Washington Post, Jan. 2025)
“US stock market loses $4 trillion in value as Trump plows ahead on tariffs” (Reuters, March 2025)
Guest Speaker
Mitch Landrieu served as the 61st mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018. He most recently was appointed co-chair of the Biden/Harris 2024 election campaign and White House Coordinator for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Implementation Office. Mayor Landrieu was president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 2017 to 2018; lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 2004 to 2010; and a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1988 to 2004. In 2018, he founded E Pluribus Unum, a public policy think tank that trains and assists leaders across the American South.
