Trump slams 'ungrateful' Henry Cuellar for staying Democrat after pardon
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: President Donald Trump on Wednesday, October 7, sharply criticized Rep Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, for remaining a Democrat even after receiving a presidential pardon in 2025.
Trump accused Cuellar of being “disloyal” and “ungrateful” and backed Republican challenger Tano Tijerina in the upcoming November election. The president slammed Cuellar twice, first in a Truth Social post before a campaign rally in San Antonio, where he also repeated his criticism of Cuellar during his speech.
Trump says he expected Henry Cuellar to join Republican Party
Explaining his expectations after the pardon, Trump said he believed Cuellar would move to the Republican Party because he had been prosecuted by Democrats and had received relief from the federal charges.
“I didn't say, Oh, I'll give you the pardons if you turn Republican. I didn't say that. Now, I could have done that very easily, but where a crooked politician would have done that,” Trump said at the San Antonio rally.
Trump on Henry Cuellar: "After the pardon was given and he and the wife were freed up...Cuellar announced only a few days later that he was going to stay and remain in the Democrat party...Many consider this to be a tremendous act of disloyalty and certainly showed him to be an extremely ungrateful kind of a person."
— Bulwark Clips (@BulwarkClips) October 8, 2026
Trump said he expected Cuellar to recognize the pardon as an act of assistance and subsequently change parties. The president said that Cuellar instead announced days later that he would remain a Democrat.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social just hours before the rally, Trump described that decision as “a tremendous act of disloyalty” and said it showed Cuellar to be “an extremely ungrateful person.” The Republican leader also called Cuellar a “loser” and argued that the congressman should have been serving a lengthy prison sentence.
🚨 JUST NOW: President Trump RIPS Rep. Henry Cuellar (D), whom he saved from YEARS in federal prison with a pardon, only for Cuellar to BETRAY him and stay a Democrat — now 47 is ENDORSING his opponent Tano Tijerina (R) "Henry Cuellar is a LOSER who, right now, should be serving a longterm jail sentence with his wife in a top level penitentiary." "Tano Tijerina is a STAR and, hopefully, will WIN! We call that payback for a disloyal and ungrateful person." 💯 "VOTE FOR TANO TIJERINA, and show people that disloyalty only causes loss, heartache, and grief!" It's pure disloyalty. HORRIBLE move Trump says he REFUSED to make a "deal" with Cuellar. How could anyone run BACK to the Dems after they tried to lock him up?
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 7, 2026
Cuellar and his wife had pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from allegations that they had accepted almost $600,000 in bribes and laundered funds. The couple faced the possibility of lengthy prison sentences.
Trump pardoned the two after their daughters appealed to him, while also arguing that Cuellar had been targeted by the Biden administration over policy disagreements.
Trump backs Tano Tijerina in Texas House race
Cuellar, this year, is seeking a reelection to Texas' 28th Congressional District, which he has represented since 2005. The district was redrawn during Texas' mid-decade redistricting process to favor Republicans and has a voting population that is 87% Hispanic. Trump has endorsed Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, Cuellar's Republican challenger, and promoted him repeatedly in his remarks before and during the San Antonio rally.
Trump framed his support for Tijerina as a response to Cuellar's decision to remain a Democrat, saying the Republican candidate represented “payback” for what he described as Cuellar's lack of loyalty.
President Trump on @JudgeTano Tijerina: “He loves Laredo. He loves all of South Texas. But most importantly, Tano loves the United States of America, and he’ll be a great congressman.” That’s the choice against self-serving Democrat Henry @CuellarCampaign. https://t.co/Otk4dIVWiU
— NRCC (@NRCC) October 8, 2026
“I'm going to give him a pardon because of the daughters. They wrote the most beautiful letter,” Trump said, describing his decision before again criticizing Cuellar for remaining with the Democratic Party.
Trump then praised Tijerina while attacking Cuellar's standing in Congress. “In any event, the man running against him is Tano Tejina, is a star, and hopefully he's going to win and we'll call that payback for a disloyal, ungrateful person,” Trump said.
Trump's remarks came during his third visit to Texas to campaign for Republicans, including Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for the US Senate. Paxton is challenging Democratic state Rep James Talarico in the general election.
