Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Monday accused President Donald Trump’s administration of withholding disaster relief funding to assist his state in recovering from severe flooding and wildfires.
“Coloradans impacted by the Elk and Lee fires and the flooding in Southwestern Colorado deserve better than the political games President Trump is playing,” Polis, a Democrat, stated after Trump denied aid on Saturday night.
“I call on the President’s better angels and urge him to reconsider these requests. This is about Coloradans who need this support, and we won’t stop fighting for them to get what they deserve. Colorado will appeal this decision,” he added.
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, asserted that Trump responds to each request for federal disaster assistance “with great care and consideration, ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement — not substitute — their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.”
Jackson emphasized that “no politicization” is involved in Trump’s decisions on disaster aid.
The president has proposed phasing out the Federal Emergency Management Agency, claiming he wants states to assume greater responsibility. While states typically lead emergency response efforts, federal assistance becomes necessary when needs exceed local capabilities.
In the past six months, Colorado has endured a devastating dual crisis: one of the state’s most active wildfire seasons in recent years followed by destructive flooding. Major summer fires burned tens of thousands of acres across the Western Slope, forcing evacuations and closing highways and parks while leaving significant burn scars in drought-stricken areas.
Early fall rainstorms then triggered river flooding, road washouts, and flash-flood threats, particularly in southern and southwestern Colorado — regions recently scarred by fire.
These back-to-back disasters have strained emergency response systems, damaged critical infrastructure, and reignited debates over preparedness, land management, and federal disaster aid policies.
