President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his veto of a bipartisan bill aimed at completing a long-running pipeline project in southeastern Colorado that delivers clean drinking water to rural communities. The measure, which passed both the House and Senate unanimously, would have completed the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act.
Trump characterized the project as an example of wasteful federal spending under Democratic Governor Jared Polis, claiming Coloradans are “leaving the state in droves” due to mismanagement by Polis. He further stated that the bill represents reckless spending by Washington and criticized Polis as a “bad governor.”
The president’s veto follows his rejection of a second bill involving limited control for the Miccosukee Tribe over part of the Everglades in Florida. These vetoes mark the first two actions of Trump’s second term, signaling his willingness to override bipartisan legislation he deems contrary to his agenda.
Trump has repeatedly defended Tina Peters, a former county clerk serving a nine-year sentence after being convicted on state charges tied to unauthorized access to voting machines. He argues she was punished for trying to expose election wrongdoing and claims she is imprisoned for the “crime” of attempting to stop voter fraud. In a recent social media post, Trump praised Peters and lashed out at Polis and local officials, ending with: “FREE TINA PETERS!”
Governor Polis condemned the veto as politically motivated, calling it “disappointing” and stating the president is “hurting rural Colorado” by blocking an essential project. Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado described the move as a “revenge tour.” Rep. Lauren Boebert, who sponsored the bill and is a Republican, condemned the veto, urging the administration not to block projects delivering water to rural Americans.
Trump has positioned the issue within a framework linking federal spending, state leadership, election integrity, and accountability.
