US President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Representative Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Texas who was recently pardoned by the President. Cuellar announced last week that he will run for re-election as a Democrat in 2026.
Cuellar's decision not to switch parties after his pardon has been met with criticism from Trump, who claims it shows a lack of loyalty. In a recent social media post, Trump wrote that he expected Cuellar to help Republicans maintain their majority in the House during the 2026 midterms. The President also claimed that Cuellar was being "weaponized" by former President Joe Biden's administration over his criticism of Biden's border policies.
Cuellar responded on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, saying that he believed the indictment against him and his wife was an act of retaliation by the Biden administration. He stated that while he disagreed with Biden's policies, bringing his family into it was not acceptable.
The pardon has raised questions about how Cuellar's decision to run for re-election as a Democrat could impact the balance of power in Congress. The Texas district represented by Cuellar was one of the Democratic districts that Republicans redrew this year, giving them an advantage in the state.
Cuellar's office has yet to comment on Trump's criticism, but his decision not to switch parties may be seen as a significant factor for Republicans in their bid to maintain control of the House.
Cuellar's decision not to switch parties after his pardon has been met with criticism from Trump, who claims it shows a lack of loyalty. In a recent social media post, Trump wrote that he expected Cuellar to help Republicans maintain their majority in the House during the 2026 midterms. The President also claimed that Cuellar was being "weaponized" by former President Joe Biden's administration over his criticism of Biden's border policies.
Cuellar responded on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, saying that he believed the indictment against him and his wife was an act of retaliation by the Biden administration. He stated that while he disagreed with Biden's policies, bringing his family into it was not acceptable.
The pardon has raised questions about how Cuellar's decision to run for re-election as a Democrat could impact the balance of power in Congress. The Texas district represented by Cuellar was one of the Democratic districts that Republicans redrew this year, giving them an advantage in the state.
Cuellar's office has yet to comment on Trump's criticism, but his decision not to switch parties may be seen as a significant factor for Republicans in their bid to maintain control of the House.
So Cuellar runs 4 Democratic party again? 
His TX district was redrawn 2 favor Reps now... guess that's a good thing for them? 
Trump says Cuellar shows no loyalty but Cuellar just wants 2 serve his constituents. 
Meanwhile, Cuellar's pardon record is a big red flag. According to the NYT, 71% of pardons by Trump were for Republicans or their families 
Did u know? In 2020, only 22% of TX voters voted 4 Biden. Now Cuellar's running 4 re-election as a Dem... that's a big swing! 
According 2 the Cook Political Report, Texas is now more competitive than ever 
The 2026 midterms are gonna be WILD 
47% of Americans believe Biden's administration targeted Cuellar & his family for retaliation. 
. I mean, come on, if he was really worried about loyalty, he should've done something about it when the indictment came out instead of waiting till Cuellar announces his candidacy.
. Like, no one thought Cuellar would switch parties after being pardoned? That's a pretty big assumption. And what about the fact that Cuellar's wife got indicted too? Is that not a big enough deal for Trump to make some noise about?
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i mean i get it he's got some issues with Cuellar's loyalty, but does he have to air his dirty laundry on social media? and btw if he thought cuellar was gonna switch parties and help republicans, why didn't he just pardon him in the first place? sounds like trump is trying to create a scandal or something 
anyway, it's all good i guess... Cuellar seems like a solid dude who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to speak his mind 
why does he still care about cuellar's party switch? like, doesn't he have better things to do than stir up drama on social media? 
and his response makes sense, imo 
Trump's expectation that Cuellar would help Republicans maintain their majority in 2026 is a classic example of expecting someone else to do the heavy lifting. Cuellar's decision not to switch parties shows he values loyalty and integrity more than party politics. This might just be the edge Republicans need to hold on to control of the House... 