Former President Donald Trump has publicly condemned Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar for what he termed a “lack of LOYALTY” after the Texas congressman chose to remain with the Democratic party despite receiving a presidential pardon. Trump issued the full pardon on Wednesday for Cuellar, who faced 14 federal charges including bribery, money laundering, and conspiracy related to allegations of accepting $600,000 from Azerbaijan’s state oil company and a Mexican bank.
In his social media post, Trump expressed disappointment that Cuellar filed for re-election as a Democrat just hours after receiving clemency, thwarting Republican hopes that he would switch parties and bolster their narrow House majority. “Oh’ well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!” Trump wrote, emphasizing his expectation of political allegiance in return for the pardon.
The Justice Department had accused Cuellar and his wife of acting as foreign agents by accepting payments in exchange for advancing interests of Azerbaijan and Mexico in Congress. Both maintained their innocence throughout the legal proceedings.
Trump framed the prosecution as politically motivated, claiming Biden’s administration targeted Cuellar specifically because the moderate Democrat had “bravely spoken out against Open Borders” and supported border security measures. He described the case as an “evil quest” by “radical left” Democrats to destroy Cuellar and his family.
Despite never having spoken with Cuellar or his family, Trump stated he “felt very good about fighting” for them because they were “treated sooo BADLY!” He particularly noted that the congressman’s daughters had written a personal letter appealing for their father’s pardon.
Cuellar, in response to Trump’s comments, affirmed his commitment to the Democratic party while expressing willingness to collaborate across party lines. “I’m an American, I’m a Texan and I’m a Democrat in that order,” he told Fox News, adding that he had prayed for Trump and his family during church services, believing that “if the president succeeds, the country succeeds.”
This incident highlights Trump’s longstanding emphasis on loyalty, which has previously manifested in official contexts including federal job applications that asked applicants to describe how they would advance Trump’s agenda. The expectation of political allegiance following presidential pardons represents a new dimension in this pattern of behavior.