Last week, I walked into the Oval Office and did something too few California leaders are willing to do: I sat down with President Donald J. Trump and advocated directly for the people I represent.

There was no press release drafted in advance, or press conferences afterward to score political points. This was just a direct, candid conversation about devastation still overwhelming our communities — 16 months after hurricane-force winds fueled wildfires that tore through LA County and upended thousands of lives in a matter of hours.

While some in this state have made a sport of Trump-bashing — which the California Post’s editorial board called out just a few days ago — I chose a different path. I chose to go to Washington and do my job.

The families in the unincorporated town of Altadena don’t want political theater.…