(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Colorado officials to release Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk imprisoned for election-related crimes, casting her as an“elderly woman” and“cancer survivor” unjustly targeted by political opponents. His renewed intervention - delivered in a blistering Truth Social post - has escalated an already fraught legal and political dispute surrounding Peters' nine-year sentence.

Why is Donald Trump demanding Tina Peters' release?

In a post on Truth Social, Trump sharply criticised Colorado's Democratic Governor Jared Polis and demanded Peters' immediate release.

“The SLEAZEBAG Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, refuses to allow an elderly woman, Tina Peters, who was unfairly convicted of what the Democrats do, cheating on Elections, out of jail! She was convicted for trying to stop Democrats from stealing Colorado Votes in the Election. She was preserving Election Records, which she was obligated to do under Federal Law,” he wrote.

Also Read | 'Go back and fix your country': Trump renews attack on Somali immigrants

“She has now served more than one year in jail, and has eight years to go. On top of everything else, she is a cancer 'survivor.' This lightweight Governor, who has allowed his State to go to hell (Tren de Aragua, anyone?), should be ashamed of himself. FREE TINA!”

Trump's comments follow months of lobbying by allies who want him to intervene in the case, despite the legal limitations on presidential authority over state convictions.

What was Tina Peters convicted of - and why can't Trump pardon her?

Peters, 70, was convicted last year on state charges for participating in a scheme to breach Mesa County's voting systems in an effort to validate Trump's false claims of mass fraud in the 2020 election. She is serving a nine-year sentence at a women's prison in Pueblo.

Because her conviction is under Colorado state law, presidential clemency does not apply. Only Governor Polis has the power to grant a pardon or commute her sentence.

Also Read | Here in Venezuela, people are more afraid of runaway inflation than Trump

CNN reported in November that Trump is being“strongly encouraged” by advisers to continue pressing for her release, even though the legal pathway does not lie with the White House.

Peters' supporters have elevated her to near-martyr status within election-conspiracy circles. One of her lawyers, Peter Ticktin, even suggested on Steve Bannon's podcast that the military should intervene to free her - a proposal entirely without legal foundation.

Has Colorado considered transferring Peters to federal custody?

No. Colorado officials have underscored that the state has no intention of handing Peters over to federal authorities, despite lobbying from Trump's allies.

“Transferring an individual is an action initiated by the Colorado Department of Corrections, not an outside entity,” spokesperson Alondra Gonzalez-Garcia said.

Also Read | Trump 'saved AI industry': Nvidia's Huang amid reported meeting

Attorney General Phil Weiser similarly rejected attempts to shift jurisdiction, stating:“Any scheme to prevent her from being held accountable under Colorado law is outrageous.”

Weiser's office is also opposing Peters' petition in federal court seeking release during her appeal.

What is the Tren de Aragua reference in Trump's post?

Trump's Truth Social post also invoked Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan transnational criminal organisation.

The phrase -“Tren de Aragua, anyone?” - was deployed as part of a broader attack on Governor Polis, implying that Colorado is experiencing spiralling criminality under his leadership.

Tren de Aragua is known for:

• extortion
• human trafficking
• migrant smuggling
• kidnappings
• murder
• control of border-crossing routes in South America

While the gang has been expanding across the Americas, Trump's reference serves primarily as a political device, framing Colorado as unsafe and mismanaged under Democratic governance. Colorado law-enforcement agencies have not reported any significant Tren de Aragua presence in the state.

Who prosecuted Peters - and what do Colorado officials say about election integrity?

Although Tina Peters a nd her supporters frame her actions as heroic whistleblowing, Colorado officials emphasise that the case was led by Republican prosecutors, and supported by election supervisors in her own conservative county.

Also Read | Trump Heard Calling JD Vance 'Incompetent' In An Incoherent Rant

They note: There is no evidence of significant cheating in Colorado elections.

The state's election infrastructure is widely regarded as one of the most secure in the country.

Tina Peters knowingly allowed an unauthorised person to access the voting system and misled colleagues about his identity. Her actions, they argue, compromised election security rather than protecting it.

What comes next for Peters and Trump's campaign to free her?

Peters is currently appealing her conviction, but her prospects for early release remain uncertain.

Trump, meanwhile, has made her case a rallying cry for his base, casting her as a political prisoner and symbol of alleged Democratic election misconduct.

Colorado leaders, including Governor Polis, remain firm in their stance, insisting that Peters' sentence must run its lawful course.

MENAFN03122025007365015876ID1110434398