President Donald Trump announced his pardon of Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, on Truth Social in December. (Nathan Howard/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
"He and his wife were headed to jail for up to 20 years because he was ‘stupid’ in what he did but, above all, because the Biden Administration practiced Political Weaponization on Cuellar and his wife because they didn’t agree with his policies on the Southern Border," Trump wrote. "He was a weak and incompetent version of me, who wanted the Border closed to criminals, drug dealers, people from mental institutions and, above all, murderers and heavy-handed criminals that were sitting in jails and mental institutions, and should never have been given the right to be released into our Country."
The president added Cuellar's views were "not strong," but alleged Democrats retaliated against him in an effort to jail him for life.
"Being an expert on Political Weaponization, based on what the Biden Losers had done to me, and without having ever met Henry Cuellar, and in particular because of the magnificence of the letter drawn by his daughters asking me to help ‘Mom and Dad,’ I gave him and Mrs. Cuellar a full and unconditional Pardon," Trump wrote. "In doing so, I never assumed he would be running for Office again, and certainly not as a Democrat."
President Donald Trump said Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and his wife were facing up to 20 years in prison for the alleged crimes. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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In exchange, the DOJ said Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan.
Tijerina, who was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1993, served three terms as Webb County judge after retiring from baseball.
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-hes-backing-cuellars-gop-rival-despite-pardoning-him-after-daughters-heart-wrenching-plea