Trump’s message to Colorado is simple: comply or be punished—and trust him at your peril
Opinion by Yiannis Damellos
January 10, 2026
Colorado Governor Jared Polis may be a man of action with genuine affection for his state, but his current course raises serious questions about judgment. Though he has long positioned himself as a moderate-to-progressive, mainstream Democrat, in his final year in office Polis appears willing to risk that identity by considering clemency for convicted former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a prominent figure in the neo-fascist election-denial movement.
It is possible Polis believes he is averting greater harm—perhaps even sacrificing his own political future to shield Colorado from environmental or economic retaliation by the President himself. But what precedent does that set? If the lesson is submission to a vengeful, egotistical, and demonstrably untrustworthy president, it is a dangerous one.
By wielding federal power as a weapon, Trump is testing whether democratic institutions will bend under threat from a president who has never respected limits, norms, or agreements. By entertaining clemency under these circumstances, Polis risks making that test easier to pass.
Tina Peters was convicted in August 2024 on multiple felony counts for her role in a conspiracy to breach Colorado’s election security systems—part of a deliberate effort to advance Donald Trump’s “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen. She was prosecuted by Mesa County’s Republican district attorney, convicted by a jury of her peers, and sentenced to nine years in prison. She is currently serving that sentence and is eligible to seek parole in two years.
Now, Colorado’s Democratic governor is apparently weighing whether to set her free.
This consideration does not arise in a vacuum. It follows an unmistakable campaign of coercion and intimidation by Donald Trump, aimed squarely at the State of Colorado. Trump has demanded Peters’ release, issued a performative and legally meaningless “pardon” for a state conviction he has no authority to touch, and then escalated his pressure campaign when Colorado did not comply.
Trump’s message has been clear: free my ally, or Colorado pays the price.
And Colorado has paid. The Trump administration moved to shut down the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a major climate research institution based in the state. Trump also vetoed a unanimously approved bipartisan bill that would have delivered clean drinking water to communities in southeastern Colorado. These are not policy disagreements; they are acts of political punishment designed to force obedience.
This is not negotiation. It is blackmail.
Against that backdrop, Governor Polis told CBS Colorado that Peters’ nine-year sentence was “harsh” and suggested clemency might be appropriate due to her age:
“We always look at people’s sentences… how much of a threat to society are they?” Polis said. “And we balance that in a way that makes sure that they can spend their last few years at home.”
But this raises the central question the governor has yet to answer:
What guarantees does Jared Polis have that Trump will stop retaliating if Peters is released?
None have been offered. None can be trusted.
Trump has already demonstrated that his threats are real, his demands are open-ended, and his word is worthless. If Polis grants clemency under duress, what comes next? Another ally? Another prosecution Trump dislikes? Another demand backed by vetoes, closures, or federal sabotage?
Capitulation does not end extortion. It invites more of it.
And the claim that Peters poses little “threat to society” fundamentally misunderstands the danger. Peters is not a petty offender. She is a central figure in a movement that seeks to dismantle democratic elections and undermine the rule of law. Releasing her now would embolden election deniers nationwide and signal that attacks on democracy can be erased through political pressure.
At a moment when the rule of law is under sustained assault—from this administration, a compromised Supreme Court, and a compliant Congress—the threat could scarcely be greater.
Democrats should be clear-eyed about what it would mean if Polis bows to Trump. It would signal that even Democratic governors can be bullied into aiding the MAGA movement. It would validate Trump’s use of federal power as a weapon against states. And it would tell voters that convictions obtained through lawful prosecutions can be undone by intimidation from the Oval Office.
This would not be an act of mercy. It would be an act of surrender.
Governor Polis has had a mixed but often mainstream Democratic record over two terms. In his final year, he must decide how he wants to be remembered: as a governor who defended democratic institutions under pressure—or as one who yielded when the pressure became personal and painful.
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