FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Recently, President Donald Trump denied a request from Colorado’s governor, Jared Polis, for federal aid to help communities recover from devastating wildfires and floods. This decision is notable because it aligns with a pattern observed where Trump tends to approve disaster aid requests from Republican-leaning states more frequently than those from Democratic states.
Governor Polis, a Democrat, had asked for significant disaster declarations due to wildfires that burned 240 square miles and floods that affected southern Colorado last year. This assistance would allow local governments to get reimbursed for debris cleanup and rebuild essential infrastructure.
Despite the request being made in good faith and backed by documentation of the damage, Trump’s administration upheld the previous denial after a “thorough review,” according to Karen S. Evans, acting administrator of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).
Polis expressed disappointment in the decision, emphasizing that the disasters caused significant harm to homes, local economies, and infrastructure. He stated, “Coloradans should not be left to shoulder these costs alone.”
While FEMA evaluates the damage and its impact on communities, the final decision on disaster declarations rests with the president. This has led to accusations from Polis that Trump’s administration is engaging in “political games” with disaster relief.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the administration’s actions, stating that they carefully consider each disaster request to ensure federal resources are used wisely. She claimed that Trump reviews these requests more thoroughly than any previous administration.
Statistics reveal a notable disparity in disaster aid approval rates. In Trump’s second term, nearly 84% of disaster requests from states that voted for him were approved, compared to only about 42% from states that supported his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. Andrew Rumbach, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, noted that while the data raises questions about potential political bias, the small sample size of requests makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.
Other Democratic governors have echoed similar frustrations. For instance, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker criticized Trump’s rejection of his state’s appeal for aid after floods in 2025, calling it a politically motivated decision that harms families in need.
In addition to the disaster declarations, Colorado’s attorney general, Phil Weiser, is addressing other federal actions that he views as injustices against the state, including cuts to climate research funding and transportation money.
Communities across the U.S. are facing unprecedented delays in disaster aid requests, which critics argue puts additional pressure on smaller, rural areas with limited budgets. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has pledged to reduce the backlog of requests as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches.
In summary, the denial of disaster aid for Colorado highlights ongoing tensions between state and federal disaster relief efforts, raising important questions about fairness and political influence in the aid approval process.
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This article was reported by the Associated Press, with contributions from writer Aoun Angueira in San Diego.
