Did Trump Just… Pardon a State Crime?! Seriously, WHAT is Happening?!

WTF Just Happened

Okay, stop everything! Hold on, did you just hear this? Former Colorado elections clerk Tina Peters, who was jailed for state-level election crimes, is actually trying to get out of prison because President Trump issued her a pardon. A presidential pardon for state convictions? Excuse me, what?!

She's literally asking an appeals court to declare this pardon valid, like it's a normal thing. Can someone explain what dimension we just slipped into?

Wait, HOW Did This Happen?

So, get this: Tina Peters was convicted in Colorado for orchestrating a total data breach scheme. Why? Because she fell for those wild, baseless claims about 2020 voting machine fraud. Remember that whole mess?

President Trump, who is currently in office as of December 2025, then issues a pardon on December 5th. Peters’ lawyers—yes, actual lawyers!—are now arguing this pardon somehow erases her state convictions. They’re seriously citing George Washington and the Whiskey Rebellion from 1795 as precedent. Are we supposed to take this seriously?

Colorado's Attorney General Phil Weiser already said this idea has "no precedent in American law" and would be an "outrageous departure" from the Constitution. So, who approved this strategy?

Are We Serious Right Now?

Okay, no, but actually HOW is this even a conversation? Let's break down the sheer absurdity:

• Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. This is, like, a fundamental part of our legal system, right?
• They’re citing George Washington and the Whiskey Rebellion? That was in 1795! Is the legal system a time machine now?
• Peters was found guilty of letting some guy connected to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell – yes, THAT Mike Lindell – mess with election systems. And she's unapologetic, claiming it was for the "greater good" despite being called a "charlatan" by the sentencing judge.

"The idea that a president could pardon someone tried and convicted in state court has no precedent in American law... and will not hold up." - Colorado AG Phil Weiser. You think?!

It’s like someone opened a legal textbook, flipped to a random page from 200 years ago, and said, "Yeah, that looks good!"

So… What Happens Now?

Well, her lawyers are pushing for the appeals court to rule fast, with a hearing scheduled for January 14th. The Colorado AG's office is set to respond by January 8th, probably with a giant, emphatic "NO!"

Peters has already lost a federal court bid for release. The state prison system has also, shocker, refused to release her based on Trump's pardon. If the state appeals court says the pardon is invalid (and let’s be real, it probably will), her attorney is already talking about taking it to the U.S. Supreme Court. The SUPREME COURT! For this?!

So, buckle up, because this legal circus is nowhere near over. Will the highest court in the land actually have to weigh in on whether a president can pardon state crimes? We are truly living in wild times, folks. Wild. Times.