On May 5, 2025, President Donald Trump demanded the immediate release of Tina Peters, the former Mesa County, Colorado, clerk convicted in 2021 on seven criminal charges related to a voting equipment security breach, for which she was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison in October 2024.
In a Truth Social post, Trump called Peters an “innocent political prisoner” and a “hostage” held by Democrats, directing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to take “all necessary actions” to secure her release.
🚨BREAKING: President Trump has just called on Colorado to free Tina Peters. He is directing the DOJ to “take all necessary steps” to free Tina Peters, who he calls a “hostage” being held in a Colorado prison by Democrats. pic.twitter.com/IB8WID5nv3
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 6, 2025
He accused Colorado Democratic officials, particularly Attorney General Phil Weiser, of political retribution, while the DOJ had already begun reviewing Peters’ prosecution in March 2025 to determine if it was politically motivated.
Colorado officials, including Weiser and Republican District Attorney Daniel Rubinstein, insist Peters’ conviction was just, as her actions undermined trust in the electoral process.
The case highlights tensions over the DOJ’s role under the Trump administration, state-federal conflicts, and ongoing debates about the 2020 election’s integrity, with Peters’ supporters viewing her as a heroine exposing “election fraud,” while critics see her sentence as essential to upholding the rule of law.