Say what you will about the Trump administration, but give it credit for sparing U.S. taxpayers from bailing out cities whose sanctuary policies made them magnets for illegal immigration.

The fact that Denver is among those cities isn’t Washington’s fault. It’s Mayor Mike Johnston’s.

And the fact that Denver now likely won’t be reimbursed some or all of $32 million it had forced local taxpayers to pony up in welcoming the latest wave of illegal immigrants, as reported by The Gazette, is Johnston’s comeuppance. It’s also Denver taxpayers’ loss.

The Mile High mayor who showboated before a congressional panel in Washington last March — and sanctimoniously pronounced, “… Denver made a choice as a city not to hate each other but to help each other…” — now must eat his words. It’s a told-ya-so moment after he had threatened to meet any immigration agents at Denver’s city limits with “50,000 Highland moms” in resistance, and had said he wasn’t afraid to go to jail.

Granted, Johnston was lulled by four years of rudderless immigration policy and U.S. border chaos under the previous presidency. So, he may have sincerely believed the feds would fork over the cash to backfill the cost of feeding, sheltering and medically treating tens of thousands of “newcomers.”

He evidently failed to consider that a new administration elected on promises to regain control of our borders and crack down on illegal immigration — might do just that. It looks like his grandstanding and defiant rhetoric have caught up with him.

So he must have felt like a trust-funder finally being cut off by over-indulgent parents when he got the bad news recently in a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“The (Homeland Security) Department, consistent with President Trump’s direction, is focused on advancing the essential mission of enforcing immigration laws and securing the border,” the letter said. “Consequently, grant programs that support, or have the potential to support, illegal immigration through funding illegal activities or support for illegal aliens that is not consistent with DHS’s enforcement focus do not effectuate the agency’s current priorities.”

Added the letter, “The individuals receiving these services often have no legal status and are in the United States unlawfully, such as those awaiting removal proceedings. This, in turn, provides support for illegal aliens and is not consistent with DHS’s current priorities.”

Johnston spent more than $80 million of local taxpayers’ money to feed, shelter and provide medical care for about 43,000 Venezuelans who headed straight for Denver after illegally crossing the U.S. border. To cover some of the cost, the mayor cut basic services such as parks, rec and DMV office hours — to those same taxpayers.

Now, his attempt to recover some of City Hall’s expenditures from Washington are at best hanging by a thread.

The letter from FEMA left some wiggle room; after review, the agency might allow coverage of some of Denver’s expenses if they qualify under the new standard. Then again, it could demand the city return some grant money it previously received, the letter warned.

Johnston’s defenders may point out the canceled federal grants were intended for services to illegal immigrants who previously had been released by Department of Homeland Security into the United States pending adjudication of their cases.

But Johnston was under no obligation to roll out the welcome wagon, much less the red carpet, and run up the tab. That’s all on him. Lesson learned?