COLORADO - President Donald J. Trump lobbed Truth Social posts throughout Tuesday night, angrily denouncing the “blue wave” of Democratic victories that swept through the country.

These included a monumental mayoral race in New York City, races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, and a vote in California approving Proposition 50. 

Proposition 50 will redraw California’s congressional district maps to create five more Democratic districts in response to the Trump-directed redistricting scheme employed in Texas back in August, which eliminated five Democratic-held seats. 

There were Democratic victories for the Virginia House of Delegates, the state supreme court in Pennsylvania, and the Georgia Public Service Commission. Vice President J.D. Vance’s half-brother, Cory Bowman, also lost his run for Cincinnati mayor against incumbent Democrat Aftab Pureval. 

But while Trump vows on social media that these cities will “RUE THE DAY” they voted against Republicans, Democratic and Republican cities alike are feeling the strain of Trump’s policies and of the subsequent government shutdown, which has surpassed its 35th day. 

Families all across Colorado have been impacted by the loss of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), officially cut off on November 1 due to the shutdown and the government’s refusal to fund such assistance.

Trump and the Republican Party refused to tap an emergency contingency fund that could have funded $4.65 billion of the $8 billion required to continue SNAP through November, stating that the lengthy process of distributing such funds would still cause a lapse in benefits for nearly 42 million Americans. 

Colorado representatives have spoken up against these actions by the Trump Administration and launched an immediate response, with the Joint Budget Committee recently approving Governor Jared Polis’s request to fund Colorado food assistance programs with $10 million from the state’s reserves. 

In another of the state’s 42 lawsuits filed in the last nine months against the Trump Administration, Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser is not only suing the Trump Administration over the decision to relocate Space Command, but has also, along with 22 other states, filed a joint lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over their refusal to tap into the nearly $5 billion in federal emergency funds for food assistance. 

The lawsuit states: "USDA's claim that the SNAP contingency funds cannot be used to fund SNAP benefits during an appropriation lapse is contrary to the plain text of the congressional appropriations law, which states that the reserves are for use 'in such amounts and at such times as may become necessary to carry out program operations.’”

Two Federal District Judges, John J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island and Indira Talwani of Massachusetts, have ordered the Trump Administration and the USDA to restore payments to SNAP benefits, and to use the emergency contingency funds. 

The Trump Administration was given until Monday to provide information to the judges on how it plans to abide by the order, to which the Administration stated that the benefits will be partially restored, but, after the depletion of the emergency funds, "no funds will remain for new SNAP applicants certified in November."

A day later, President Trump claimed on Truth Social that SNAP benefits will only be funded once the “radical left” Democrats “open up government,” alluding to the Republican talking point that the government shutdown is directly the consequence of Democrats’ actions, though the Republicans hold power over the House and Senate.

 By Tuesday, Trump had walked that back, only noting that it will take “a long time”—perhaps months—to get the emergency funding in place.

When visiting the USDA website, a banner immediately appears, stating that Democrats, by refusing to come to the table without an agreement regarding health care funding, are “withholding services to the American people in exchange for healthcare for illegals, gender mutilation, and other unknown leverage points.” 

Locally, regional food shares and nonprofit health and human services organizations rally to support their communities in mitigating the hunger crisis resulting from the loss of federal programs. 

Peak Abundance, also known as the Nederland Food Pantry, has partnered with local charities and businesses to provide meals to those in need. These include the Lovin’ Cup Community Kitchen, run by The Deli owner Ross Alper, who is offering assistance with grocery costs, and a partnership with The Market, where customers can donate a pre-packaged bag of food for a local family for just $10. 

Gilpin County’s Food Pantry is actively recruiting more donations, especially given the imminent arrival of Thanksgiving.

There were also two major propositions on Colorado voters’ ballots this November that involved bolstering programs aimed at feeding children.

Proposition LL involved using an additional $12.3 million in tax revenue already supplied by voters for the Healthy School Meals for All program. Proposition MM involved raising taxes for those making $300,000 or more a year to fund free school meals, to locally source food for school meals, and to provide raises for cafeteria employees. 

The results of the November 4 vote were in early Wednesday morning. LL passed by 64.7% statewide, with 79.5% of Boulder County voting “Yes/For.” MM passed by 58.1%, with 72.9% of the county voting “Yes.”