Colorado Gov. Jared Polis criticized President Trump after FEMA denied two requests this year for major disaster declarations tied to August wildfires and mudslides and October flooding. Polis, joined by Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, condemned the denials and said the state will appeal. The White House defended its decisions and denied politicization, while the dispute comes amid Trump's comments about reducing FEMA's role and shifting responsibility to states.
Polis Says Trump Is Playing 'Political Games' After FEMA Denies Colorado Disaster Requests — State Plans Appeal
FILE - Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks to the National Governors Association at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Denver — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis accused President Donald Trump on Sunday of playing "political games" after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied two requests this year for major disaster declarations tied to wildfires, mudslides and flooding.
Polis' office said it received the two denial letters late Saturday. The letters respond to requests for major disaster declarations related to the Elk and Lee fires and accompanying mudslides in August, and to what the governor described as "historic flooding" across southwest Colorado in October.
Political reaction and next steps
The governor, joined by Colorado's U.S. senators — Democrats Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper — publicly criticized the denials. Polis said the state will appeal the FEMA decisions and seek reconsideration of federal aid for impacted communities.
"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 said in a statement.
White House response
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the administration's approach, saying the president reviews each federal disaster request "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 added there is "no politicization" in the decisions on disaster aid.
Broader context
The episode comes as President Trump has suggested "phasing out" FEMA and shifting more disaster responsibility to states. While states lead initial disaster response, federal assistance is available when needs exceed state capacity — a core reason Colorado sought major disaster declarations for the affected communities.
