President Donald Trump appeared to intensify his irritation with GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar on Saturday evening after reposting a series of social media attacks on the congresswoman who made waves last week for breaking with him on his immigration tactics.
The president shared in quick succession on Truth Social at least 14 posts from other users critical of Salazar, who is facing a tough reelection race in Florida as Republicans’ midterm fortunes decline.
“She is nothing but a back stabber. I’m glad the Latino support hasn’t wavered,” one user wrote in a post shared by Trump.
Another user slammed the congresswoman: “She wants amnesty for the ppl how criminally crossed our borders defying our laws.”
“So we need a NEW Republican to Replace Salazar,” different user said.
CNN reached out to the White House and Salazar’s office and reelection campaign for comment on the reposts.
Salazar, who represents a heavily Hispanic district, drew Trump’s ire last week after she broke with the president in a new ad ahead of the midterms. The congresswoman addresses Trump directly in the ad, speaking straight to the camera as she says, “some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far.”
Salazar points to statistics she said show that 50% of the people detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in July “had no criminal record.”
Following the ad’s release, Trump confirmed in response to a question from a reporter that he had seen the ad and still backed the Florida congresswoman, even though he did not share her view.
“I disagree with her,” Trump said in the Oval Office. He claimed that Salazar “got a little bit soft on the border” and wouldn’t have won without his endorsement.
Salazar told “Face The Nation” that she had a “very good conversation” with the president after releasing the campaign ad and characterized Trump as “very receptive” to her warning that Hispanic voters feel “betrayed” ahead of the midterm election.
The congresswoman’s ad comes as ICE increased immigration arrests nationwide over the summer. In August, for example, ICE took around 51,000 people into custody, setting a new high under the second Trump administration. The previous high had been set the month prior when the agency took more than 46,000 people into custody in July.
By BBC News
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