DENVER – Colorado Governor Jared Polis has accused President Donald Trump of engaging in “political games” after the Trump administration turned down the state’s requests for disaster declarations following recent wildfires and flooding.
Governor Polis’s office announced that he received two denial letters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) late Saturday. These denials came in response to requests for major disaster declarations due to wildfires, mudslides in August, and what Polis termed as “historic flooding” that hit southwest Colorado in October.
Polis, along with Colorado’s U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, both Democrats, expressed their disappointment over the denials. Governor Polis has stated that the state intends to appeal the decision.
“The people affected by the Elk and Lee fires and the flooding in Southwestern Colorado deserve more than the political games being played by President Trump,” Polis remarked in a statement.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson commented that President Trump approaches each federal disaster assistance request “with great care and consideration,” aiming to ensure that American tax dollars are utilized appropriately. The aim, she noted, is to assist states in supplementing their efforts, not replacing their responsibilities in disaster response and recovery.
Jackson further clarified that there is no political motivation behind President Trump’s decisions regarding disaster aid.
Trump has raised the idea of “phasing out” FEMA, 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.
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