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Trump Denounces Cuellar’s ‘Lack of Loyalty’ After Pardon as Texas Democrat Runs Again

The rebuke follows a full pardon that ended the federal case as Cuellar filed for reelection as a Democrat, shifting the focus to partisan fallout and continuing House Ethics scrutiny.

FILE - Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, speaks during a hearing of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations on Capitol Hill, April 10, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzales, left, and Henry Cuellar, right, participate in a discussion on taking politics out of problem solving during the Texas Tribune Festival in 2023. Cuellar, the controversial South Texas lawmaker, might not vote with the national party on every issue, but Democrats will need his help if they want to flip the U.S. House.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) questions Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing on the DHS budget request on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy/File Photo
House Appropriations Committee member Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) questions Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 06, 2025 in Washington, D.C.; U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the 48th Kennedy Center Honors Medallion Reception at the U.S. Department of State on December 06, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

Overview

  • In a Sunday Truth Social post, the president attacked Rep. Henry Cuellar for remaining a Democrat and seeking another term days after receiving a pardon.
  • Cuellar said he is a conservative Democrat who will work with the administration, thanked the president for the clemency, and filed to run on the Democratic ticket.
  • Cuellar blames the Biden-era Justice Department for “weaponization” and, according to reports, has discussed assisting House Republicans in probing the prosecutors, including talks with Rep. Jim Jordan.
  • The pardon covered Henry and Imelda Cuellar, who were indicted in 2024 over roughly $600,000 in alleged bribes from an Azerbaijan-linked energy firm and a Mexican bank; a judge previously dismissed the foreign-agent counts.
  • Reports say GOP strategists were frustrated that the pardon removed a legal cloud over a competitive South Texas seat, while a separate House Ethics Committee investigation of Cuellar remains open.