Donald Trump pardons one of his loyalists, but in true Trump fashion, it backfires spectacularly
Donald Trump does not often take the time to think things through before doing them, and this usually results in negative outcomes for him. In some cases, these consequences are even more significant, leaving him confused about the results. The same is happening to him right now, and his opposers are having the last laugh.
On December 12, 2025, Donald Trump shared a post on Truth Social (where he spends a significant amount of his time) that pointed out the failures of the Democrats regarding violence and crime. He highlighted that they were unable to prosecute the guilty while instead going after those with legitimate concerns. In this context, Trump accused the Democrats of targeting Tina Peters, the former County Clerk of Mesa County, Colorado, who is now incarcerated due to criminal charges linked to her attempts to overturn the 2020 elections, the same year that resulted in Joe Biden defeating Donald Trump to become President. He stated:
Democrats have been relentless in their targeting of TINA PETERS, a Patriot who simply wanted to make sure that our Elections were Fair and Honest. Tina is sitting in a Colorado prison for the “crime” of demanding Honest Elections. Today I am granting Tina a full Pardon for her attempts to expose Voter Fraud in the Rigged 2020 Presidential Election!”
While Donald Trump may have enthusiastically announced that he was granting a full pardon to Tina Peters, he was unaware that he lacked the jurisdiction to do so. Back in August 2024, Peters was convicted on seven charges (including four felonies related to unauthorised access of election machines) by the Colorado state court. She was sentenced to nine years in prison for her various charges and is currently serving her time at a women’s prison in Pueblo, Colorado. Therefore, since her sentencing was carried out by the state and not the federal government, Trump has no authority to overturn her sentence or grant her a pardon. At best, his actions may apply pressure on those responsible for making decisions regarding her case.
For several months, the current administration has been working to persuade Colorado officials to either release Tina Peters or at least transfer her to a more comfortable facility than her current one. However, their efforts do not seem to be yielding results, as just recently, Colorado Governor Jared Polis stated that a President does not have the authority to pardon someone who has been convicted by the State. His exact words on the issue were:
No President has jurisdiction over state law nor the power to pardon a person for state convictions. This is a matter for the courts to decide, and we will abide by court orders.”
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