(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump has been back in office now for one year, and Attorney General Phil Weiser, D-Colorado, spent most of that time fighting Trump actions.
Speaking to state lawmakers Tuesday, Weiser said the Trump administration has taken numerous actions, many of which go against core constitutional principles such as the separation of powers and target vulnerable communities.
“We have filed 51 lawsuits against this administration, and that’s not including one lawsuit filed against us that we’re defending in court,” Weiser said during a joint meeting of the House and Senate’s judiciary committees at the Capitol in Denver.
Examples offered by Weiser include a case he brought in 2025 against Trump that involves the president’s decision to move Space Command out of Colorado Springs.
“The president said he wanted to punish Colorado because he thought our mail-in voting laws were a problem,” said Weiser.
In a September 2025 press conference, Trump said, “The problem with Colorado is they have a very corrupt voting system.”
“Any time you have mail-in voting you have corrupt elections,” the president added.
Trump also called Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis a radical.
“State sovereignty is important to me, the 10th Amendment is important to me,” said Weiser. “We get to decide how to manage our elections, their time, place, and manner as the Constitution says, not the president.”
Weiser said he would feel the same if this was a Democratic president.
“I would oppose that effort because it’s the same principle, state sovereignty, and we should not compromise on the 10th Amendment,” said Weiser. “We should not cede power to the federal government from the states.”
Weiser said that there is a human element to this case because the people in El Paso County who bought homes and have kids in schools are now “pawns” in an effort to bully Colorado.
“A couple weeks ago I amended this very lawsuit that we’re bringing on our own because of a series of coordinated actions by the administration to punish Colorado,” said Weiser. “Here, it wasn’t mail-in voting, but it was how we administer our criminal laws.”
Weiser also expressed criticism of the Trump administration for its efforts to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, deny the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster funds and challenge gender-affirming care.
These actions, said Weiser, are hurting the lives of everyday people.
The Trump administration maintains that it has the power as the executive branch to make decisions on things such as spending and policy.
Regarding gender-affirming care, the Trump administration has referred to it as chemical and surgical mutilation that does not aid people with gender dysphoria.
Meanwhile, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought posted on X in December 2025 that Boulder-based NCAR is “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country.”
Trump views climate change as a “hoax.”
