Trump denies disaster declarations for Colorado fires, flooding: 'We won't stop fighting'

Lauren Penington, The Denver Post on Dec 21, 2025

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President Donald Trump denied two disaster declaration requests from Colorado that would have allowed the state to receive federal assistance — a move state lawmakers announced Sunday that they plan to appeal.

“Coloradans are trying to rebuild their lives after fires and floods destroyed homes and communities across our state,” Sen. John Hickenlooper said in a statement. “Trump’s decision to reject our disaster requests, and therefore withhold resources as our communities continue to recover, is unacceptable. This isn’t a game. These are people’s lives.”

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis previously filed major disaster declaration requests in September for the Elk and Lee fires near Meeker and in October for “record-breaking and devastating flooding” across southwestern Colorado.

The Elk and Lee wildfires sparked in August on opposite sides of Meeker in Rio Blanco County. Together, the fires charred more than 150,000 acres and destroyed at least five homes and 14 outbuildings.

By the time it was fully contained, the Lee fire had grown to the fifth-largest wildfire in Colorado history.

“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. “One of the most amazing things to witness as Governor has been the resilience of Coloradans following a natural disaster. Their courage, strength, and willingness to help one another is unmatched — values that President Trump seems to have forgotten.”

Tropical storms in October fueled heavy floods in southwestern Colorado, including La Plata, Archuleta and Mineral counties. The floodwaters threatened hundreds of homes, evacuated residents, forced high-water rescues and damaged public infrastructure, Polis said in his disaster declaration.

“This is about the Coloradans who need this support, and we won’t stop fighting for them to get what they deserve,” Polis stated. “Colorado will be appealing this decision.”

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday.

Elected officials in Colorado accused Trump last week of retaliating against the state after his administration announced plans to shut down and dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder.

U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, who represents the district south of Boulder, said the decision was “an assault on Colorado and political retribution.”

The decision to close the lab — and the following denial of Polis’s disaster declarations — were delivered amid Trump’s ongoing attempts to free Tina Peters from Colorado prison.

Trump has increasingly criticized Polis, including calling the governor “weak and pathetic” after the Colorado Department of Corrections announced that it would not comply with a request to transfer Peters to federal prison.

Peters, a former Mesa County clerk, is serving a nine-year prison sentence for election interference. She was convicted on state charges and cannot be pardoned by the president, legal experts say.

Sen. Michael Bennet called President Trump’s decision to deny Colorado’s request for federal assistance “unacceptable.”

“Trump continues to use Coloradans for political games; it is malicious and obscene,” Bennet said. “A disaster is a disaster, regardless of what state in the country it took place. Together with Governor Polis and the Colorado delegation, I will take every available step to appeal this decision.”

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