President Donald Trump unleashed a blistering attack Wednesday on Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and a Republican district attorney in the state, accusing them of persecuting former county clerk Tina Peters and calling her imprisonment a grave injustice tied to what he says is widespread election fraud.
In a fiery post on Truth Social, Trump defended Peters, a 73-year-old former Mesa County clerk who is currently serving a nine-year sentence in a Colorado maximum-security prison. Trump framed her conviction as punishment for attempting to expose alleged voter fraud, not as legitimate law enforcement.
“God Bless Tina Peters, who is now, for two years out of nine, sitting in a Colorado Maximum Security Prison, at the age of 73, and sick, for the ‘crime’ of trying to stop the massive voter fraud that goes on in her State,” Trump wrote. He added that people are “leaving [Colorado] in record numbers,” and accused state leadership of weaponizing the justice system.
Trump went on to lash out directly at Polis and the local prosecutor involved in the case, labeling the district attorney a “disgusting ‘Republican’ (RINO!)” and accusing both officials of selectively enforcing the law. He claimed Democrats face no consequences under what he called a “phony Mail In Ballot System” that makes it “impossible for a Republican to win an otherwise very winnable State.”
In perhaps his harshest language, Trump said of the governor and prosecutor, “I wish them only the worst. May they rot in Hell. FREE TINA PETERS!”
Peters was convicted on seven state-level charges related to election interference stemming from the 2020 election. While serving as Mesa County clerk, she allowed an associate of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell access to county election software. Prosecutors said she abused her public position, and the charges included three counts of attempting to influence a public servant and one count of criminal impersonation.
Trump and his allies, however, have long portrayed Peters as a whistleblower who sought to ensure election integrity. Earlier this month, Trump claimed in a separate Truth Social post that he had granted Peters a pardon, using the announcement to rail against Democrats and what he described as selective prosecution.
“For years, Democrats ignored Violent and Vicious Crime,” Trump wrote, accusing them of prioritizing political power over public safety. He argued Democrats only recognize one crime: “Not voting for them.” Trump said Peters was relentlessly targeted because she demanded safe and secure elections, calling her a “Patriot who simply wanted to make sure that our Elections were Fair and Honest.”
In that same post, Trump declared he was granting Peters a “full Pardon” for her efforts to expose what he continues to call voter fraud in the 2020 election.
However, under the Constitution, a president cannot pardon state-level crimes. Peters’ convictions were handed down under Colorado law, meaning Trump has no legal authority to overturn her sentence.
Still, Trump’s comments underscore how central election integrity remains to his message and to many of his supporters. By elevating Peters’ case, Trump is signaling that he views her prosecution as emblematic of a broader pattern in which state and local officials, including Republicans he labels as RINOs, cooperate with Democrats to punish those who challenge the system.
The outburst also highlights Trump’s continued willingness to confront Republican officials he believes have failed to stand up for his agenda. For Trump and his base, the Peters case is not just about one official, but about trust in elections, accountability in government, and what they see as a justice system increasingly tilted against conservatives.
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