Washington DC - President Donald Trump on Friday made his first trip since returning to power, heading to fire-scorched California and hurricane-hit North Carolina.

The visits to Los Angeles and Asheville come as the White House said that deportation flights on military aircraft had begun, launching Trump's promised operation to expel "millions" of undocumented migrants.

Leaving the White House with first lady Melania Trump on his way to Los Angeles, he repeated his false claims that rain-starved California could solve its water problems and catastrophic wildfires by simply opening a valve in the north of the state.

Trump told reporters he was going to "take a look at a fire that could have been put out if they let the water flow, but they didn't let the water flow, and they still haven't for whatever reason."

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He suggested yanking federal disaster support for America's second-largest city after the fires that have killed some two dozen people and caused billions of dollars in damage.

Trump has also slung insults at California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, branding him an "idiot" and baselessly claimed that California authorities diverted water supplies to save a kind of small fish called a smelt.

Officials say Trump will meet firefighters and those affected by the blazes.

Trump also sought to score political points on North Carolina, accusing Democratic predecessor Joe Biden of failing to help it recover from floods caused by Hurricane Helene last year that killed more than 100 people in the state.

He said the situation there was a "horrible thing the way that's been allowed to fester, and we're going to get it fixed up."

North Carolina resident and Republican supporter Christy Edwards said that "Trump can change everything."

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People were still living in camper vans with their families following the disaster, said the 55-year-old retired teacher living an hour away from the hard-hit city of Asheville.

"We're hoping by Trump, coming we'll help get more resources," she told AFP by phone.

Trump has floated ending federal disaster relief in general and leaving states to fend for themselves, accusing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of turning its back on victims.

"FEMA has not done their job for the last four years," Trump said on Fox News. "I'd rather see the states take care of their own problems."