President Donald Trump denied two requests from Colorado for disaster aid, even though his administration found that the wildfires and flooding behind the requests caused more than enough damage to qualify for federal help.
The denials, made late Saturday, were disclosed Sunday in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s daily update. The simultaneous decisions were unusual because Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) submitted his requests six weeks apart.
The denials came days after the Trump administration announced it would break apart the Colorado-based National Center for Atmospheric Research, which White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought called one of the “largest sources of climate alarmism in the country.”
After POLITICO’s E&E News asked for comment on Trump’s denials, Polis issued a statement vowing to appeal to FEMA and the White House. Colorado residents “deserve better than the political games President Trump is playing,” Polis said.
