Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., sharply criticized President Donald Trump this week after he used the first veto of his second term to shut down a long-delayed water infrastructure project that would have directly benefited tens of thousands of residents in her district.
The veto halted bipartisan legislation extending federal support for the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a pipeline project intended to deliver reliable municipal and industrial water to several communities in southeastern Colorado. The measure had passed both the House and Senate unanimously, reflecting rare across-the-board agreement in Congress, before Trump rejected it late Tuesday night.
In a memo explaining his decision, the president framed the veto as a stand for fiscal responsibility. “Enough is enough,” Trump wrote. “My administration is committed to preventing American taxpayers from funding expensive and unreliable projects.” The statement aligned with Trump’s broader emphasis on curbing federal spending and scrutinizing large infrastructure efforts.
Boebert, however, responded with an unusually direct rebuke, signaling a clear rift with the president she has long been aligned with politically. Warning that the issue was far from settled, she declared, “This isn’t over.”
In a statement shared publicly by journalist Kyle Clark, Boebert accused Trump of turning his back on his own supporters in rural Colorado. She emphasized that the legislation was neither partisan nor controversial, pointing to its unanimous passage as proof that lawmakers from both parties saw it as necessary and reasonable.
This isn’t over. https://t.co/SxRacLX8fp
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) December 31, 2025
“President Trump decided to veto a completely non-controversial, bipartisan bill that passed both the House and Senate unanimously. Why?” Boebert asked. She argued that the decision undercut Trump’s “America First” message by blocking access to clean drinking water for roughly 50,000 people in southeastern Colorado — many of whom, she noted, voted enthusiastically for Trump in all three of his elections.
Boebert went on to frame the veto as inconsistent with Trump’s campaign promises. “I must have missed the rally where he stood in Colorado and promised to personally derail critical water infrastructure projects,” she said sarcastically. “My bad, I thought the campaign was about lowering costs and cutting red tape.”
The Arkansas Valley Conduit has been in development for years, with supporters arguing it is essential for providing safe, dependable water and supporting economic stability in the region. Boebert has championed the project as a practical investment that would reduce long-term costs and eliminate bureaucratic hurdles for local communities.
In a further escalation, Boebert suggested the veto may not have been purely about policy. She raised the possibility that the move could be connected to internal political tensions, particularly her recent stance on the release of government files related to Jeffrey Epstein — an issue that has placed her at odds with Trump.
“I sincerely hope this veto has nothing to do with political retribution,” Boebert said, making clear she believes the timing and circumstances warrant scrutiny.
The clash highlights emerging strains within Republican ranks as Trump begins his second term and asserts his priorities. While Trump has leaned heavily on fiscal restraint and skepticism of federally backed projects, Boebert’s reaction underscores the political risks when those decisions hit conservative districts that strongly support the president.
For Boebert, the issue cuts to the core of representation. By vetoing a project she says is vital to her constituents’ basic needs, Trump has forced a public showdown between national cost-cutting rhetoric and local infrastructure realities.
As Boebert made clear, she does not intend to drop the fight. Her message to the White House was blunt: blocking clean drinking water for rural Americans is not an “America First” victory — and she plans to keep pushing until the issue is resolved.
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