President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Representative Maria Elvira Salazar on Saturday after she released a campaign advertisement earlier this month that publicly challenged his immigration policies. Ms. Salazar, a Republican from Florida facing re-election this November, drew backlash from Mr. Trump when she stated in the ad that his immigration efforts "have gone too far" and that his Hispanic voter base "feel betrayed."
The president shared screenshots on the social media platform X featuring comments from various accounts condemning Ms. Salazar’s stance. Some comments urged Mr. Trump to withdraw his endorsement of the congresswoman or to find a new Republican candidate to replace her. These posts were responses to a Washington Post report cited by Mr. Trump indicating that many Latino voters in Ms. Salazar’s district support the president despite their disapproval of her ad.
Following the release of the ad, Mr. Trump acknowledged his disagreement with Ms. Salazar but expressed understanding of her position during remarks to reporters at the White House. “She got a little bit soft on the border. I understand that,” he said. Subsequently, Ms. Salazar described her conversation with Mr. Trump as "fantastic," noting that he was "a gentleman, very courteous, very receptive," and that she had urged him to reconsider his immigration approach.
Despite Ms. Salazar’s continued support for the administration on many issues, Mr. Trump’s recent social media activity sparked criticism from within Republican ranks. Carlos Curbelo, a former Republican congressman from South Florida, accused the president of demanding "absolute loyalty" from a member who supports him approximately 90 percent of the time. Mr. Curbelo suggested it was counterproductive to appear willing to allow Democrats to capture the district instead of backing Ms. Salazar.
The political vulnerability of Ms. Salazar is underscored by the recent nonpartisan Cook Political Report’s decision to move her seat’s rating from "likely Republican" to "lean Republican." This shift reflects concerns that Mr. Trump’s declining popularity with key voter groups may be affecting down-ballot candidates.
Other Republicans are also distancing themselves from the former president. Representative Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for Florida governor, recently reduced the prominence of Mr. Trump’s endorsement on his campaign website. Nevertheless, Mr. Trump sought to project unity on Saturday by announcing that he had scheduled rallies in Florida to support Mr. Donalds’s gubernatorial bid.
The evolving dynamics within the Republican Party highlight the tensions between candidates trying to balance allegiance to Mr. Trump and the political realities of their diverse electorates ahead of the midterm elections.