Jared Polis accused the Trump administration on Monday of withholding disaster relief funds needed to help Colorado recover 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.”
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, said “no politicization” is involved in Trump’s decisions on disaster aid, and added that the president 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.”
President Trump has floated phasing out the Federal Emergency Management Agency, arguing that states should shoulder more responsibility for disaster response. While states already lead recovery efforts, federal aid typically steps in when disasters overwhelm state resources.
Over the past six months, Colorado has been battered by back-to-back disasters, with one of its most active wildfire seasons in years followed by severe flooding. Summer fires scorched tens of thousands of acres—especially on the Western Slope—forcing evacuations and leaving burn scars across drought-stricken land. Weeks later, heavy fall rain triggered flooding, road washouts, and flash floods, particularly in fire-damaged areas, straining emergency systems and reigniting debates over preparedness, land management, and federal disaster aid.
President Donald Trump late Saturday denied Colorado’s request for disaster relief funding following the Elk and Lee fires and Western Slope flooding this summer https://t.co/2gcL7IofU5 pic.twitter.com/jwooLDxxuX
— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) December 21, 2025
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