Donald Trump has slammed Democrat Henry Cuellar's lack of loyalty for not defecting to the Republican party after he was pardoned by the US president.
In issuing his pardon on Wednesday, Trump said the Texas representative - who was charged last year with bribery and money laundering - had been politically targeted by the Biden administration after he bravely spoke out against Open Borders.
Hours after he was pardoned, Cuellar filed for re-election as a Democrat, dashing Republicans' hope that he might switch parties and pad their narrow majority in the House of Representatives.
Trump expressed his disappointment on social media, stating, Such a lack of LOYALTY. Oh' well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!
The Justice Department, under the Biden administration, charged that Cuellar and his wife had accepted $600,000 from Azerbaijan's state-owned oil company and an unnamed Mexican bank in exchange for advancing their interests in Congress.
The couple, who have maintained their innocence, were charged with 14 counts in 2024, including conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, money laundering, and violating a ban on acting as agents of a foreign organization.
Trump, in a lengthy social media post, accused radical left Democrats of mercilessly pursuing Cuellar, alleging an evil quest to destroy him and his family over his strong stance on border security.
Despite Trump's pardon, Cuellar has decided to continue his candidacy as a Democrat. He reiterated his political identity during a Fox News interview, saying, I'm an American, I'm a Texan and I'm a Democrat - in that order, further emphasizing his commitment to work with the president.
Cuellar also expressed a willingness to collaborate with Trump, stating, I prayed for the president, his family, and the presidency because if the president succeeds, the country succeeds.
Trump’s critique of Cuellar is emblematic of his expectations regarding loyalty from those he has aided. Recently, federal labor unions have filed a lawsuit against the administration over a loyalty question included in federal job applications, underscoring Trump's ongoing emphasis on loyalty.
