Donald Trump Meets Convicted Election Clerk Tina Peters

President Donald Trump met with Tina Peters, a convicted former election clerk from Colorado, in the Oval Office to discuss election integrity and plans for the 2026 midterm elections. The meeting, disclosed by former Justice Department official Ed Martin, occurred amid warnings from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that voting equipment containing components from China and Russia is compromised.

Peters, who was released from prison in June after being convicted of seven offenses for breaching voting equipment in Mesa County, proposed a 100-Day Risk Mitigation Election Plan. Her proposal urges the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to recommend transitioning from ballot-marking devices to hand-marked paper ballots and requiring a full hand-count of every ballot before certification.

During the discussions, Peters argued that the president has the executive authority to remove voting machines and mail-in ballots via executive order. She further called for the military to seize voting machines, specifically mentioning the role of Pete Hegseth in such an effort. Ed Martin suggested that if Congress fails to pass the SAVE America Act, which would establish new citizenship and identification rules, the president may take independent action.