Colorado governor accuses Trump of playing ‘political games’ after denying FEMA
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, on Sunday accused President Donald Trump of playing “political games” after the federal government denied requests for a disaster declaration following this year’s wildfires and flooding in the Centennial State.
The governor received two denial letters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) late Saturday.
The letters came after Polis’ calls for major disaster declarations following wildfires and mudslides in August and what Polis called “historic flooding” in southwestern Colorado in October.
Polis dismissed the administration’s denial and said the state would appeal the decision.
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis accused President Donald Trump of playing “political games” after the federal government rejected requests for a disaster declaration. (AP)
“Coloradans affected by the Elk and Lee fires and flooding in Southwestern Colorado deserve better than President Trump’s political games,” the governor said in a statement.
Two Colorado U.S. senators, Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, also criticized the administration for the denial.
“FEMA’s denial of Colorado’s request for federal disaster assistance is unacceptable,” Bennet wrote in X. “Western Colorado communities need help recovering from this year’s historic floods and wildfires, and federal assistance should be available to all states and counties that need it.”
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Colorado’s Democratic governor received two denial letters from FEMA on Saturday. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I will take all available steps to appeal this decision,” he added.
Hickenlooper wrote: “This is not a game. These are people’s lives.”
“Coloradans are trying to rebuild their lives after fires and floods destroyed homes and communities in our state,” he continued. “Trump’s decision to reject our disaster appeals, and therefore withhold resources as our communities continue to recover, is unacceptable.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said there was “no politics” in the administration’s decisions about disaster relief.
The White House said there was “no politics” in the administration’s decisions on disaster relief. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Jackson said Trump responds to each request for federal disaster assistance “carefully and thoughtfully, ensuring that U.S. dollars are used appropriately and effectively by states to supplement — not replace, their responsibility for disaster response and recovery.”
Trump has suggested that FEMA may be “outed,” saying he wants states to take on more responsibility. States already lead government response after disasters, but officials may seek government assistance when needs exceed what they can manage on their own.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
