The president Donald Trump asserted this Friday that he maintains his support for Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, but made it clear that he disagrees with her criticisms of the immigration policy of his administration.
Trump responded to a journalist's question about the video that Salazar recorded in front of the White House, in which she stated that some of the president's immigration policies "have gone too far" and warned that Hispanic voters who supported him in 2024 "now feel betrayed."
A reporter asked Trump if he had seen the message and if he still supported Salazar's candidacy.
"Yes, I support her, and yes, I have seen it. I do not agree with her," Trump replied.
The leader then defended his stance on the border and assured that immigration was one of the issues that propelled his political movement and contributed to his electoral victory.
Trump stated that before his return to the White House, the United States had "the most insecure border perhaps of anywhere in the world, perhaps in history," and he claimed that during Joe Biden's administration, 25 million people entered the country.
He also claimed that among them were individuals from prisons and psychiatric institutions, in addition to drug traffickers and murderers.
"I have a very strong stance. She, obviously, does not have a very firm stance on the border, but I do," he stated about Salazar.
Trump said he understands the congresswoman's position, although he insisted that he does not share her viewpoint.
"I understand what you are saying, but I have a very firm stance. I won because of my position on the border," he noted.
The president also stated that, according to figures he claimed to have recently learned, no one has illegally crossed the southern border in the last 16 months, although he acknowledged that he personally found it hard to believe that the number was literally zero.
In another part of his response, Trump directly referred to Salazar's political career and stated that his support was crucial for her to reach Congress.
"It is a good person. I made sure they were elected. Without me, they wouldn't have been elected," they stated.
Trump recalled that Salazar faced a candidate years ago whose defeat seemed unlikely, and he asserted that his own support changed the outcome of that contest.
"When I supported María, she ended up winning. And it was the biggest surprise of the entire Congress during that period," he said.
Finally, he insisted: “Maria won only because of me.”
Trump attributed the current differences between the two to the fact that, in his assessment, Salazar has become less strict on immigration matters.
It became a little softer at the border. I understand, I understand. But I'm just not there, he concluded.
Before Trump responded personally, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had already addressed Salazar's criticisms with a particularly strong message.
Whether Congresswoman Salazar likes it or not, the men and women of ICE are enforcing the laws passed by Congress,” stated a spokesperson for the agency, who also stated that “there will be no amnesty” and reaffirmed the deportation policy promoted by the Trump administration.
The confrontation was also analyzed from an electoral perspective.
Sean Foreman, a professor of Political Science at Barry University, described Salazar's decision to publicly criticize a president of her own party as “very rare” and pointed out that the strategy could be aimed at attracting independent voters and moderates dissatisfied with immigration policy, although it also poses risks for a congresswoman who has Trump's support for her reelection.
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