President Trump reposted at least 14 posts by other users criticizing Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar on Saturday, after she said in a campaign ad that some of his immigration enforcement efforts had gone too far. He had said he still backed her, despite disagreeing.
In the ad, Salazar cited statistics she said showed that 50% of people detained by ICE in July had no criminal record. The reposts included a user calling her a “back stabber,” another accusing her of supporting amnesty for people who crossed the border illegally, and a call for Republicans to replace her.
After the ad, Trump told a reporter he had seen it and still backed Salazar, though he disagreed. He said she had become “a little bit soft on the border” and claimed she would not have won without his endorsement. Salazar later described their conversation as “very good” and said Trump was receptive to her warning that Hispanic voters felt “betrayed.” ICE took around 51,000 people into custody in August, a new high under Trump’s second administration; the previous month’s total was more than 46,000.
