# Trump Criticizes Cuellar for Party Loyalty

> Trump accuses Henry Cuellar of disloyalty after he ran as Democrat despite Trump's pardon.
- Title: Trump Criticizes Cuellar for Party Loyalty · The Texas Tribune
- Summary: Trump accuses Henry Cuellar of disloyalty after he ran as Democrat despite Trump's pardon. Trump criticized Henry Cuellar for staying with Democrats after…
- Keywords: trump, henry cuellar, democratic party, republican party, truth social, congressional district, south texas, ice, medicare, social security, beto o'rourke, tano tijerina
- Source: The Texas Tribune — https://feeds.texastribune.org/link/16799/17492354/trump-post-cuellar-pardon-party-switch
- Author: Berenice Garcia
- Published: 2026-10-08T18:25:08+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: trump, henry cuellar, democratic party, republican party, truth social, congressional district, south texas, ice, medicare, social security, beto o'rourke, tano tijerina
## Trump criticizes Cuellar
President Donald Trump railed against U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar on Truth Social Wednesday night, calling him disloyal and ungrateful for staying with Democrats after Trump pardoned him last year.

> I did the pardons, and made no deal, where a crooked politician would have, but I thought there would be a good chance that Cuellar, who was persecuted by Democrats because they didn’t like him, would have routinely gone over to the Republican Party, The people that saved him from years in prison
## Cuellar's response
Cuellar stated he remains focused on district priorities including reining in ICE overreach, lowering costs, and protecting Medicare and Social Security.

> As I’ve previously shared, my family and I are grateful that this weaponized case is behind us
## Cuellar's legal issues
Cuellar and his wife were indicted on twelve charges of bribery, money laundering, and conspiracy in 2024 based on allegations of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from Azerbaijan government and a Mexican bank.
## Trump's pardon history
Trump pardoned Cuellar and his wife before the November 2025 election, after Cuellar's daughters requested clemency.
## District dynamics
Cuellar runs in Texas' 28th congressional district, which Trump won by over 10 points in 2024 but would have been won by Beto O’Rourke in 2018.
## Trump's party switch demand
Trump expected Cuellar to switch parties for reelection but was shocked when Cuellar filed as a Democrat, claiming he wished Cuellar's daughters would have convinced him to switch.

> I only wish Henry Cuellar’s daughters, who begged for his survival, would have used the same level of charm to convince their mother and father to do the right thing
## Key takeaway

Trump criticized Henry Cuellar for staying with Democrats after his pardon, claiming Cuellar should switch parties for reelection.