President Donald Trump criticized U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) on Sunday for seeking reelection as a Democrat after the President issued pardons to the congressman and his wife in a federal bribery and conspiracy case, according to AP News.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump wrote that Cuellar had shown “Such a lack of LOYALTY” by continuing to work with “the same RADICAL LEFT” that brought the charges against him and “wanted him and his wife in prison — And probably still do!” President Trump also wrote that he believed the Cuellar family had been “treated sooo BADLY” and said his decision to grant clemency came after reading a letter from the couple’s daughters requesting pardons for their parents.
Rep. Cuellar addressed the comments during an interview on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures. He said he is a conservative-leaning Democrat who is willing to work with the administration “to see where we can find common ground.” Cuellar said he prayed for the President and the presidency that morning at church “because if the President succeeds, the country succeeds.”
Cuellar referenced former President Lyndon B. Johnson when describing himself as an American, a Texan, and a Democrat. “I think anybody that puts party before their country is doing a disservice to their country,” he said.
President Trump noted that the charges against Cuellar and his wife originated under President Joe Biden’s administration and wrote that by continuing to run as a Democrat, the congressman was aligning with individuals who pursued the case. Cuellar’s daughters, Christina and Catherine Cuellar, sent the President a letter in November asking for pardons for their parents. President Trump added, “Oh’ well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!”
Federal prosecutors had charged Cuellar and his wife with allegedly accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for advancing the interests of an energy company connected to Azerbaijan and a bank in Mexico. Charging documents alleged that the congressman agreed to support legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a speech on the House floor promoting the country.
Cuellar said in a Fox News interview in April that federal authorities attempted “a sting operation to try to bribe me, and that failed.”
The congressman continues to face a House Ethics Committee investigation.
