PULSE POINTS
❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced a full pardon for Representative Enrique “Henry” Cuellar (D-TX), who faced bribery and money laundering charges.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Rep. Cuellar, Cuellar’s wife Imelda, and their daughters Christina and Catherine.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Wednesday on Truth Social.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!” – Donald Trump.
🎯IMPACT: The pardon ends legal proceedings against Cuellar and his wife, sparking reactions from both supporters and critics.
President Donald J. Trump announced Wednesday on Truth Social that he would pardon Representative Enrique “Henry” Cuellar (D-TX), who was indicted last year on charges of bribery and money laundering. The pardon also extends to Cuellar’s wife, Imelda, who faced related charges.
In the Truth Social post, Trump accused the former Biden government of having targeted Cuellar over his opposition to its mass immigration policies. “For years, the Biden Administration weaponized the Justice System against their Political Opponents, and anyone who disagreed with them. One of the clearest examples of this was when Crooked Joe used the FBI and DOJ to ‘take out’ a member of his own Party after Highly Respected Congressman Henry Cuellar bravely spoke out against Open Borders, and the Biden Border ‘Catastrophe,’” President Trump wrote.
“Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH. It is unAmerican and, as I previously stated, the Radical Left Democrats are a complete and total threat to Democracy!” Trump continued, adding: “Because of these facts, and others, I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Imelda. Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!”
A letter from Cuellar’s daughters, Christina and Catherine, was posted by Trump to Truth Social. In it, they appealed for their father’s pardon, stating, “We believe that our father’s independence and honesty may have contributed to how this case began.” They also expressed empathy for Trump, referencing his own legal challenges, and wrote, “We prayed for you and your family — for your strength, your peace, and your faith to stay strong.”
In 2024, Cuellar and his wife were federally charged related to foreign corruption. In January 2022, federal agents raided Cuellar’s home and campaign office in Texas as part of an investigation into a group of U.S. businessmen with ties to Azerbaijan. At the time, the Texas Democrat pledged to cooperate with the federal investigation.
Despite Trump’s portrayal of Cuellar as a quasi-political ally, the Texas Democrat has been a longstanding critic of the President. Following the 2020 election, Cuellar wrote a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) stating, “Trump incited a violent mob to attack the Capitol. The case against him was simple and the evidence was overwhelming.”
“This insurrection against our democracy is why I voted to impeach Trump today. Upholding our American democracy depends on it,” Cuellar wrote on January 13, 2021.
He campaigned against Trump’s border wall throughout his first term, slamming it as “wasteful” and “ineffective.”
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