Colorado Governor Brushes Off Trump's Aurora Lies: 'He's Not Running Against Me'

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis doesn’t seem to mind being attacked by former President Donald Trump .

Polis (D) appeared on CNN Friday after Trump spoke in the town of Aurora and called him a “coward” and a “fraud,” and falsely claimed that immigrants have “invaded and conquered the city.”

The governor took it all in stride.

“I’m glad he was talking about me because he’s not running against me,” Polis told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins . “He’s running against [Vice President] Kamala Harris . ... The more lies and attacks he wants to say about me, the better, because I’m not on the ballot.

“So I’m glad to distract him however I can,” he continued, before praising Aurora.

Also on Friday, Trump claimed that Venezuelan gangs were conquering the city, describing how “they’re taking over buildings” and doing so “violently.”

(A video showing gang members in an Aurora apartment building went viral over the summer, but authorities say the area is safe and far from overrun with crime, The Associated Press reported .)

Collins noted Friday that Trump has lobbed similar criticisms against governors in his own party, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp .

“Some say it’s cognitive decline ,” said Polis. “But the more he’s distracted and attacking people like Gov. Kemp or me, whether they’re Republican or Democrat, maybe he’s forgotten who he’s running against.”

“I think she’ll be a great president,” he added, of Harris. “So let him attack all these other people and try to settle all these grudges he has. ... I don’t think that’s what the American people want.”