Donald Trump Attacks Maria Elvira Salazar Over Immigration Criticism
President Donald Trump launched a social media attack on Representative Maria Elvira Salazar after she criticized his mass deportation policies in a campaign advertisement.
Representative Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida sparked a public conflict with the White House on September 24 by recording a campaign advertisement in front of the White House. In the ad, Salazar criticized President Donald Trump's immigration policies, stating he had gone "too far on immigration enforcement" and asserting that Hispanic voters who helped elect him "feel betrayed."
President Donald Trump responded on September 26 with a rapid social media offensive. Within two minutes, Trump shared 13 posts featuring screenshots from X users who labeled Salazar a "back stabber" and questioned who might have paid her to oppose the administration. The shared posts included calls for Trump to withdraw his endorsement of Salazar or for her to be challenged in a primary election.
The rift marks a shift in the relationship between the two, as Salazar had previously praised the administration's actions against Venezuela. The public criticism is viewed as a signal to other Republicans that they may distance themselves from the president's immigration approach to avoid electoral losses.
