President Donald Trump set social media ablaze late Wednesday and into Thursday, launching a barrage of posts on his Truth Social platform that targeted everything from mail-in voting to prominent politicians and media outlets. The former president’s digital activity, which spanned the night of August 20 and the early hours of August 21, 2025, has reignited debates about election integrity, partisan redistricting, and the boundaries of presidential influence over the justice system.
As reported by HuffPost, Trump’s online spree began just before midnight when he praised the Texas House for approving new congressional maps. These maps, if implemented, are projected to grant Republicans an additional five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. Trump, never one to mince words, went further—urging other states to undertake similar mid-cycle gerrymanders and to eliminate mail-in voting entirely. He declared, “59% APPROVAL RATING FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP, MASSIVE LEAD OVER THE DEMOCRATS.” However, as HuffPost and RealClearPolling data highlight, no recent poll supports Trump’s claim of a 59% approval rating; in fact, most show him trailing by 6 to 13 percentage points.
But Trump’s late-night digital campaign didn’t stop there. After midnight, he turned his attention to MSNBC, which had just announced a rebranding to "MS NOW" following a corporate split from NBC. Trump responded with an all-caps rant, venting his frustrations at the network’s changes and perceived bias. This wasn’t just a passing remark—it was a full-throated attack that echoed his longstanding animosity toward much of the mainstream media.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also found himself in Trump’s crosshairs. Newsom, for days, had been mimicking Trump’s bombastic social media style—an act that both trolled the former president and drew the ire of right-wing commentators. Trump’s posts lashed out at Newsom, but the governor’s office was quick to fire back. In a move that felt straight out of Trump’s own playbook, Newsom’s team responded with posts mocking the president, including a string of snowflake emojis and a witty reply to Trump’s MSNBC tirade. Newsom also engaged from his personal account, keeping the online exchange lively and very public.
Meanwhile, the controversy over mail-in voting—which Trump has repeatedly denounced—took on a new dimension. According to Westword, Trump’s opposition to mail-in ballots was not limited to general complaints. During a recent Fox News interview with Bret Baier, Trump claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him, “Your election was rigged because you have mail-in voting.” Trump then promised Baier he would “lead a movement” against the practice, further cementing his role as a vocal critic of mail-in voting systems across the country.
Colorado, a state where mail-in voting is standard and widely trusted, became the next focal point of Trump’s ire. In a Truth Social post on August 21, Trump aimed his criticism squarely at Colorado’s mail-in voting system and Governor Jared Polis. Yet his post quickly pivoted to a demand: the immediate release of Tina Peters, a former county clerk convicted of compromising Colorado election data in 2021. “FREE TINA PETERS,” Trump’s post began. He described Peters as “a brave and innocent Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians, including the big Mail-In Ballot supporting the governor of the State. Let Tina Peters out of jail, RIGHT NOW. She did nothing wrong, except catching the Democrats cheat in the Election. She is an old woman, and very sick. If she is not released, I am going to take harsh measures!!!”
Peters’ legal saga has become a flashpoint in the broader national debate over election security and accountability. She is currently seeking release on bond pending her state appeal on four felony and three misdemeanor convictions related to the 2021 voting machine data breach. However, as Westword notes, a federal magistrate judge declined to grant her bond, citing the absence of precedent for federal intervention in state court appeals. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, earlier this month, filed a response urging the federal judge to dismiss Peters’ petition, referencing the 1971 Supreme Court case Younger v. Harris, which discourages federal interference in ongoing state court proceedings.
Despite these legal roadblocks, Trump and his allies within the Department of Justice appear undeterred, continuing to press for Peters’ release. The situation presents a striking paradox: a former president who has championed law-and-order rhetoric now demanding the release of a convicted official whose actions undermined public trust in the electoral system. As Westword put it, “The law-and-order lock-them-up president intent on restoring election integrity is demanding that the State of Colorado release a convict who compromised public data. Only in Trump’s America.”
Colorado’s mail-in voting system, which has been in place for years, is built on layers of security. Ballots are mailed to all registered voters, who can return them by mail, drop them at secure ballot boxes, or vote in person on Election Day. Each ballot is tracked, signatures are verified, and public data confirms the system’s reliability. In fact, several citizen-led tests have confirmed the effectiveness of these safeguards, making Colorado’s approach a model for many other states.
Yet Trump’s criticisms have found a receptive audience among those who remain skeptical of mail-in voting. His claims, often unsupported by evidence, have fueled ongoing partisan battles over how Americans cast their ballots. The push for more aggressive gerrymandering—redrawing district lines to favor one party—adds another layer to the struggle for electoral advantage. In Texas, the newly approved maps are expected to tilt the balance further toward Republicans, a move Trump enthusiastically endorsed and encouraged other states to emulate.
For their part, Democratic leaders like Governors Newsom and Polis have pushed back against Trump’s rhetoric. Newsom’s playful trolling and pointed responses reflect a broader strategy among Democrats to meet Trump’s provocations with both humor and substance. Polis, meanwhile, has defended Colorado’s voting system as secure and accessible, emphasizing the importance of trust in democratic institutions.
The ongoing battle over Tina Peters’ fate is emblematic of the larger tensions at play. Her supporters, echoing Trump’s calls, see her as a whistleblower punished for exposing alleged wrongdoing. State officials and many legal experts, however, view her actions as a serious breach of public trust that warrants accountability. The federal courts have so far sided with the latter perspective, reinforcing the principle that federal intervention in state matters should remain rare and carefully circumscribed.
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, these debates are likely to intensify. Trump’s social media outbursts, the legal wrangling over election integrity, and the partisan jockeying for congressional seats all point to a political landscape as polarized and unpredictable as ever. Whether the former president’s online crusades will shape policy or simply inflame passions remains to be seen, but for now, the nation’s attention is firmly fixed on the intersection of politics, law, and the ever-evolving battle over how America votes.
In the end, the latest flurry of posts and counterposts underscores just how high the stakes have become—and how fiercely contested the rules of democracy remain in the post-Trump era.
