Executive Summary
The Story So Far
Why This Matters
Who Thinks What?
President Trump on Thursday issued a warning to Colorado officials, threatening “harsh measures” if Tina Peters, a state election official convicted of multiple felonies related to breaching voting equipment in the 2020 election, is not immediately released from prison.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump demanded Peters’s release, describing her as “a brave and innocent Patriot” who has been “tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians.” He asserted that Peters “did nothing wrong, except catching the Democrats cheat in the Election,” and characterized her as “an old woman, and very sick.”
Trump did not specify the nature of these “harsh measures.” However, he has previously threatened to withhold federal funding from states and jurisdictions that do not align with his policy directives.
Background on Tina Peters’s Conviction
Peters, a former Mesa County clerk, was convicted by a jury in 2024 on seven counts, including four felonies. The charges stemmed from her role in facilitating unauthorized access to county voting equipment in an attempt to find evidence of voter fraud following the 2020 election, claims that she and her allies were unable to substantiate.
Now 69 years old, Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison. Trump has consistently championed her cause, including directing the Justice Department in May to pursue actions for her release.
Wider Context of Election Claims
Trump has for years propagated the unsubstantiated claim that the 2020 election was “rigged” and stolen due to widespread voter fraud, an assertion that has been widely disproven by election officials and courts.
The former president’s latest remarks underscore his continued focus on challenging the integrity of the 2020 election results and his support for individuals who have faced legal consequences related to those challenges.
