President Trump is not exactly known for biting his tongue, but even by Trump standards, his reaction to Rep. Henry Cuellar’s decision to run for reelection as a Democrat after receiving a full pardon was something else. And honestly, you can’t blame him for being irritated. Cuellar and his wife had been staring down federal charges for allegedly taking nearly $600,000 in bribes and laundering the money. Democrats under Biden were ready to toss the entire family into a legal woodchipper. Then Trump steps in, gives him a full and unconditional pardon, and within weeks the guy announces he’s proudly running again… as a Democrat. That’ll raise an eyebrow or two.
Trump wrote, “Can you imagine??? The Democrats, under the Crooked Joe Biden Administration… wanted to put Congressman Henry Cuellar, and his wife, Imelda, in PRISON, for 15 years.” He explained that the family was “tormented by very sick and deranged people” and said he granted the pardon after receiving a touching letter from Cuellar’s daughters. He added, “I felt very good about fighting for a family that was tormented… God was very happy with me that day!”
Then Trump described the moment he saw Cuellar’s announcement: “THEN IT HAPPENED!!! Only a short time after signing the Pardon, Congressman Henry Cuellar announced that he will be ‘running’ for Congress again… 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.” He called it a “lack of LOYALTY” and ended with a classic line, “Oh’ well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!”
I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts. I thank God for standing with my family and I during this difficult time. This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas.
This pardon gives us a… pic.twitter.com/ajNvHq6rG0
— Rep. Henry Cuellar (@RepCuellar) December 3, 2025
Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 08:11 AM EST 12/07/25
Can you imagine??? The Democrats, under the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, who always use extreme force and jail-time to destroy their political opponent, wanted to put Congressman Henry Cuellar, and his wife, Imelda, in…
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 7, 2025
Cuellar, for his part, seems to be trying to play every side of every fence simultaneously. On Fox News he described himself as a conservative Democrat willing to work with Trump where possible. He thanked the president, saying the pardon “clears the air and lets us move forward,” while also giving the standard party line, claiming he’s “an American, Texan and Democrat, in that order.” Convenient timing.
He also accused the Biden administration of weaponizing the Justice Department against him because he criticized their open border policies. “If they want to come after me because I was a critic about open borders, that’s one thing. But you don’t bring the family in,” he said.
Let’s be real. Cuellar had a golden opportunity to make a clean break from the same Democrats who tried to destroy him. Instead he ran straight back into their arms. Trump didn’t hold back, and Texas voters probably won’t either.