President Trump on Sunday offered more insight into his decision to pardon former Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and his wife Imelda, who were both indicted last year on bribery charges, but criticized the former congressman for opting to run as a Democrat in 2026.
“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,” the president continued. “Oh’ well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!”
Cuellar filed to run for re-election shortly after Trump announced the pardon last week. The Hill reached out to Cuellar’s office for comment.
Trump, in his Sunday post, reiterated his position that Cuellar was unfairly targeted by former President Biden and his administration over the Texas Democrat’s criticism of the White House’s immigration agenda.
“The Dems mercilessly went after Henry with everything they had!” Trump wrote. “They were looking to destroy him, his lovely wife, his two young daughters, and anyone close to them.”
The president said that a letter from the Cuellar daughters, Christina and Catherine, prompted this decision to issue a pardon.
In March of last year, the Justice Department indicted the Cuellars on 14 counts, alleging the congressman accepted payments from an oil company owned by the Azerbaijan government and a Mexican bank.
A judge in August dismissed two of the 14 counts at the request of federal prosecutors, setting a trial for 2026.
Earlier this week, Trump defended his decision to pardon Cuellar when asked whether the move would help the Democratic congressman get reelected in next year’s midterms.
“It didn’t matter,” Trump told The Hill during a Wednesday Oval Office event.
“He was a respected person. He was treated very badly because he said that people should not be allowed to pour into our country, and he was right. He didn’t like open borders,” Trump continued.
“As soon as he made that statement, I then said, ‘I bet he gets indicted,’ and that’s what happened,” he said. “He got indicted for speaking the truth.”
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