Donald Trump criticized Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) over his decision to run for re-election as a Democrat after he received a Trump pardon last week.
Cuellar and his wife Imelda were indicted last year for allegedly taking more than $600,000 in bribes from an oil company owned by the Azerbaijan government and a Mexican bank.
Trump pardoned them, arguing that Cuellar was prosecuted by the Biden administration because he spoke out against Biden’s immigration policy.
On Sunday, Trump slammed the lawmaker for running for re-election as a Democrat, saying it is disloyal.
“Only a short time after signing the Pardon, Congressman Henry Cuellar announced that he will be ‘running’ for Congress again, in the Great State of Texas (a State where I received the highest number of votes ever recorded!), as a Democrat, continuing to work with the same Radical Left Scum that just weeks before wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in Prison – And probably still do!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henry’s daughters, will not like,” he continued. “Oh’ well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!”
Cuellar filed to run for reelection as a Democrat shortly after Trump announced the pardon.
“Nothing has changed — I’m a good old conservative Democrat,” the Texas lawmaker said.
Cuellar responded to Trump in an interview on Fox News Sunday, telling host Maria Bartiromo that he will not switch parties.
“I follow the words of President [Lyndon B. Johnson], who said many years ago, ‘I’m an American, I’m a Texan, and I’m a Democrat, in that order,’” Cuellar said. “And I think anybody that puts party before their country is doing a disservice to their country.”
“I am a conservative Democrat, but I will work with the president. If I can work and find common ground, then I certainly want to do that,” he added.
