Trump’s Revenge Tour: Gutting Colorado Funding Over Election Grift Defiance

Donald Trump’s vendetta against Colorado is no secret — but now it’s playing out in federal court and with devastating real-world consequences. The nonprofit managing the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder has sued the Trump administration to stop further cuts to the nation’s premier weather lab. Trump dismisses NCAR’s vital climate science as “alarmism” and targets it partly because Colorado refused to pardon Tina Peters, an election grifter and denier.

This lawsuit is just the latest skirmish in a broader pattern of retribution. Trump has moved Space Command away from Colorado Springs, vetoed bipartisan water infrastructure bills, and, crucially, overseen FEMA’s unprecedented denial of disaster aid for wildfires and floods — including two major emergencies in Colorado. The administration has slashed or cut off federal funding to social services and climate resilience projects, leaving communities vulnerable.

Judge R. Brooke Jackson has yet to rule but questioned why negotiations haven’t resolved the dispute. The answer is simple: Trump’s “Art of the Deal” means he only settles when he wins everything. Meanwhile, internal FEMA documents reveal that Colorado and California — both states governed by leaders Trump openly despises — have been starved of wildfire prevention funds. This is despite looming fire seasons that experts warn could be catastrophic.

Congressman Joe Neguse of Boulder calls the administration’s actions “plain evidence” of political gamesmanship with disaster relief. The stakes are high: climate change is fueling more frequent and intense wildfires, and underfunding prevention efforts risks lives and property. Trump’s scorched-earth policy against Colorado isn’t just petty politics — it’s a dangerous abuse of power that puts Americans at risk.

This “revenge tour” underscores a brutal truth: when states defy Trump’s authoritarian impulses, they pay a steep price. Colorado’s fight in court is about more than funding; it’s about holding an administration accountable that weaponizes federal resources to punish dissent and undermine democracy. The question now is how much more damage will be done before justice prevails.