Colorado governor accuses Trump of playing ‘political games’ after disaster request denials
DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Police indicted President Donald Trump “Political games” were played Sunday after the Trump administration rejected requests for a disaster declaration following wildfires and floods in the state earlier this year.
Polis’ office said it received two denial letters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency late Saturday. Letters follow requests for major disaster declarations tracking forest fires Landslides in August and what Police described as “historic flooding” throughout southwestern Colorado In October.
Polis and Colorado’s U.S. senators, fellow Democrats Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, condemned the denials. Police said the state would appeal.
“Coloradans “Those affected by the Elk and Lee fires and flooding in Southwest Colorado deserve better than the political games President Trump is playing.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Trump responds to every request for federal disaster aid with great care and attention, “to ensure that American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently, not as a substitute for states’ obligations to respond to and recover from disasters.”
Jackson says there is no ‘politicization’ of Trump’s decisions on disaster relief.
Trump came up with this idea FEMA “phasing out”He said he wanted states to take more responsibility. States already take the lead in disasters, but federal aid steps in when needs exceed what they can manage on their own.
