Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tried to send a message to his critics.
Instead, the internet turned him into a punchline.
What began as an already explosive political controversy spiraled into full-blown online mockery Wednesday after Polis appeared on a private Democratic Party call wearing black duct tape over his mouth — a bizarre protest critics instantly slammed as self-pitying political theater.
And the backlash was savage.
“Get off the cross.”
“Not serious.”
“Scrambled eggs for brains.”
“Get out of politics.”
The ridicule came from journalists, academics, activists, lawyers, and even fellow Democrats after Polis attempted what many interpreted as a dramatic “free speech martyr” pose following outrage over his decision to grant clemency to election denier Tina Peters.
Peters was convicted in 2024 after allowing unauthorized individuals access to election systems in Mesa County while searching for supposed fraud tied to the 2020 presidential election — claims repeatedly rejected by courts and investigators.
Her early release already enraged large sections of Colorado Democrats.
Then came the duct tape photo.
Political reporter Jesse Aaron Paul shared screenshots from the party call showing Polis sitting silently with headphones on and black tape covering his mouth.
The image detonated online almost instantly.
Critics accused the governor of bizarrely portraying himself as “censored” after facing entirely predictable backlash for a deeply controversial decision.
Computer scientist and misinformation researcher Kate Starbird mocked Polis for seemingly confusing “censured” with “censored.”
Another commenter compared his behavior to someone trapped in the culture wars of old Twitter-era outrage politics.
New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie didn’t hold back either.
“This guy absolutely has scrambled eggs for brains,” he wrote.
Then came one of the most widely shared responses of the day.
Journalist Imani Gandy fired off a brutal line that exploded across social media:
“Get off the cross. We need the wood.”
The mockery kept escalating.
Writer Cooper Lund accused powerful politicians of constantly playing victim whenever they face consequences for their actions.
University of Michigan professor Don Moynihan blasted Polis for “cosplaying” as a silenced dissident while actual federal employees face serious retaliation risks for exposing wrongdoing.
Attorney Ken White suggested Polis may have staged the moment purely for attention.
And labor lawyer Katelyn Oldham delivered perhaps the harshest verdict of all.
“If he can’t handle justified criticism,” she wrote, “he needs to resign and get out of politics altogether.”
The fury surrounding Polis reflects how politically radioactive the Tina Peters case has become inside Democratic circles.
Many Democrats believe the governor effectively rewarded an election conspiracy figure at a time when misinformation about the 2020 election continues destabilizing public trust nationwide.
Critics also accused Polis of bending under pressure from President Donald Trump and MAGA allies who spent months demanding Peters’ release.
Journalist Lindsay Beyerstein argued Trump retaliated aggressively against Colorado through funding cuts and political pressure campaigns before Polis ultimately granted clemency.
“Now Polis wants to play martyr,” she wrote.
And that accusation may explain why the duct tape stunt enraged so many Democrats so quickly.
Because critics didn’t merely see a governor defending free speech.
They saw a powerful politician trying to portray himself as oppressed after making a deeply unpopular decision — while still holding one of the most powerful offices in the state.
The visual itself became symbolic almost immediately.
A governor literally taping his own mouth shut while facing criticism over helping an election denier.
And online, the reaction was merciless.
Because in today’s political climate, voters appear increasingly exhausted by leaders who frame accountability as persecution.
Especially when the controversy was entirely self-inflicted.
By Wednesday afternoon, Polis’ attempt at symbolism had backfired so dramatically that the original controversy almost became secondary.
People weren’t talking about the message anymore.
They were talking about how badly it landed.
