Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Monday accused President Donald Trump's administration of withholding disaster relief funding to help his state with recovery 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, said in a statement 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 the Coloradans who need this support, and we won't stop fighting for them to get what they deserve. Colorado will be appealing this decision," he added.
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, said 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 said "no politicization" is involved in Trump's decisions on disaster aid.
Trump has raised the idea of phasing out the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying he wants states to take more responsibility.
States already take the lead in disasters, but federal assistance comes into play when the needs exceed what they can manage on their own.
Over the past six months, Colorado has been hit with a one-two punch, with one of the state's most active wildfire seasons in years giving way to destructive flooding.
Major summer fires burned tens of thousands of acres, especially on the Western Slope, forcing evacuations, closing highways and parks, and leaving large burn scars across drought-stricken terrain.
Then, in early fall, rainstorms dumped inches of precipitation in short periods, triggering river flooding, road washouts, and flash-flood threats, particularly in southern and southwestern Colorado, with heightened risks in areas recently burned by fire.
The back-to-back disasters strained emergency response systems, damaged infrastructure, and reignited debates over preparedness, land management, and federal disaster aid while underscoring how quickly Colorado can swing from fire to flood.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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