Trump vetoes bipartisan clean water law to punish state for enforcing its laws, politician for wanting to see the Epstein files
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Trump’s leadership mode being “mafia don” is a cliched description, but cliches are generally accurate, and I don’t think there’s a better one:
President Trump’s surprise veto of a bill related to a Colorado water project sparked a sharply worded complaint from prominent MAGA lawmaker Rep. Lauren Boebert and charges of retaliation from members of both parties.
The measure, seen as noncontroversial, passed the House and Senate with no objections. But the White House, in one of Trump’s first two vetoes of his second term, said the president was rejecting the bill, citing his commitment to prevent taxpayers “from funding expensive and unreliable policies.” The Arkansas Valley Conduit aims to bring fresh water to eastern Colorado.
The veto comes as Trump has been pressuring Colorado’s Democratic Gov. Jared Polis to release Tina Peters, a former county clerk, from state prison, while threatening “harsh measures” if she isn’t freed. Peters is serving a nine-year term for actions in the wake of the 2020 election, and Trump issued a pardon for her. But the president’s clemency powers apply only to federal, and not state, charges.
“This isn’t governing. It’s a revenge tour,” said Sen. Michael Bennet (D., Colo.) on X. “This is payback because Colorado won’t bend to his corruption.”
Polis said that it was “very disappointing that the president is hurting rural Colorado” and that the state’s delegation would “continue to fight for this extremely worthy and important project.”
Boebert, who represents a district spanning eastern Colorado and who spearheaded the legislation, questioned the president’s priorities. The avid Trump supporter said in a statement to Denver’s 9News that she hoped “this veto has nothing to do with political retribution for calling out corruption and demanding accountability.”
She didn’t elaborate. But in recent months, Boebert was one of four Republicans who teamed with House Democrats to successfully force a vote on releasing documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over Trump’s objections. The president, who called the effort a Democratic hoax, later changed his stance and backed the bill, which passed overwhelmingly.
Boebert didn’t respond to an interview request.
Asked for comment, a White House official pointed to the president’s veto statement. Trump vetoed 10 measures in his first term, only one of which was overridden by Congress. His veto Tuesday of the Colorado bill was accompanied by a veto of a measure expanding the land controlled by the Miccosukee Tribe in Florida.
Some Colorado Democrats called for Congress to immediately hold a vote on overriding the veto of the water project when it gets back into session next week. An override would require the support of two-thirds of each chamber.
Boebert noted that many of the people who would benefit from the Colorado project were Trump voters.
If the congressional leadership saw itself as the head of an independent institution rather than Donald Trump’s sockpuppets this veto would be quickly overridden. This is not good news.