Former U.S. President Donald Trump ignited a fresh political firestorm this week, directing a furious social media attack at Colorado officials for refusing to recognize his symbolic pardon of Tina Peters, a former county clerk convicted for her role in a 2020 election security breach.
A Social Media Outburst Full of Inaccuracies
On Wednesday, Trump used his platform to lambast Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, whom he labeled a "Scumbag," and a Republican district attorney, whom he accused of being a "RINO" (Republican In Name Only). In his post, Trump called for them to "rot in hell" for their handling of the Peters case.
Trump claimed Peters, aged 73 and sick, was serving a nine-year sentence in a maximum-security prison for the "crime" of trying to stop voter fraud. However, these statements were factually incorrect. Public records show Tina Peters is 70 years old, incarcerated in a medium-security facility, and according to Governor Polis, is "perfectly healthy and doing fine."
Her conviction in 2024 stemmed from orchestrating a scheme with election deniers to illegally access voting machine data, driven by the baseless conspiracy theories of fraud in the 2020 election that Trump himself propagated.
The Futile Pardon and Escalating Retaliation
Trump's so-called "pardon" earlier this month holds no legal weight, as a U.S. president can only pardon federal crimes, not state convictions like Peters'. It came days after a federal magistrate judge denied her request for release during her appeal and followed a November decision by the Colorado Department of Corrections to deny her transfer to federal custody.
Following these setbacks, Trump has followed through on threats to retaliate against the state of Colorado. His administration has taken several punitive actions targeting critical state projects and research.
These measures include a pledge to dismantle a world-class climate and weather research institution in Boulder, which plays a key role in America's ability to predict severe weather. Furthermore, the administration has canceled $109 million in federal transportation grants for Colorado. This funding included a crucial $66 million grant earmarked for a rail safety mechanism in the state's northern region.
Bipartisan Bill Faces First Veto
The confrontation escalated on Tuesday when Trump employed his veto power for the first time. He rejected a bipartisan bill that would have funded a project to deliver safe drinking water to 39 communities in southeastern Colorado.
This series of actions underscores the ongoing political battle over the 2020 election narrative and highlights how Trump is leveraging federal power to punish states whose officials defy his demands, even on matters outside federal jurisdiction. The situation continues to draw attention to the security of mail-in voting systems, which experts and numerous audits have consistently found to be secure, contrary to Trump's claims.
