President Donald Trump’s latest head-scratching pardon has the approval of one of his fiercest critics.
Trump, 79, announced Wednesday he was pardoning Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, ahead of them going to trial on bribery, money laundering, and conspiracy charges.
The unlikely pardon of a Democratic lawmaker was announced just before House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN. Asked live on air for his opinion on the pardon, the New York Democrat said he was pleased with the outcome.
“Listen, the reality is this indictment was very thin to begin with, in my view,” Jeffries said. “The charges were eventually going to be dismissed, if not at the trial court level, by the Supreme Court, as they’ve repeatedly done in instances just like this.”
CNN Host Pamela Brown asked Jeffries if he agreed with Trump’s use of his clemency power.
“I don’t know why the President decided to do this,” he responded. “I think the outcome was exactly the right outcome.”
Jeffries, 55, stopped short of outright praising the president for the action, which has been described as unexpected by members of both parties.
Brown noted that Cuellar’s South Texas district was won by Trump in 2024. She asked Jeffries if the Laredo-based lawmaker, who turned 70 in September, was considering switching parties to join the GOP.
Jeffries brushed off the notion that Cuellar may leave the party.
“I think Congressman Cuellar is a highly valued member of the House Democratic Caucus, and I expect that he’ll continue to remain a highly valued member of the House Democratic Caucus,” Jeffries said.
Beyond the pardon itself, Trump appeared to court Cuellar in a Truth Social post that praised him.
“For years, the Biden Administration weaponized the Justice System against their Political Opponents, and anyone who disagreed with them,” he wrote. “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.’ Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH.”
Trump continued, “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!”
Republicans would rather pardon violent felons who attacked the Capitol than honor the police officers who protected it. pic.twitter.com/FSqtRp2Hj1
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) May 15, 2025
Trump and Jeffries have not agreed on much in MAGA 2.0. He has especially taken exception to Trump’s pardons of political allies, and Trump trolled his political rival with sombrero memes during the government shutdown.
The pardoning of Jan. 6 rioters was one of the Trump’s first official acts when he returned to the White House, and he has sporadically issued other controversial pardons throughout his first 11 months in office.
This week alone, Trump pardoned the former Honduran president who was convicted of trafficking cocaine into the United States, as well as David Gentile, a private equity executive convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison for a fraud scheme.
The post Dem Boss Twists Himself Into Pretzel Over Trump Pardon appeared first on The Daily Beast.
