«She is nothing more than a traitor. I am glad that Latino support has not wavered,» one user wrote in a post shared by Trump.
President Donald Trump appeared to intensify his irritation with Republican Representative María Elvira Salazar on Saturday night, after reposting a series of social media attacks against the congresswoman, who caused a stir last week by distancing herself from him over his immigration tactics.
The president shared in rapid succession on Truth Social at least 14 posts from other users criticising Salazar, who faces a difficult re-election battle in Florida as Republican prospects dim in the midterms.
«She is nothing more than a traitor. I am glad that Latino support has not wavered,» one user wrote in a post shared by Trump.
Another user lashed out at the congresswoman: «She wants amnesty for people who crossed our borders illegally, defying our laws.»
«So we need a NEW Republican to replace Salazar,» another user said.
CNN contacted the White House, Salazar’s office and her re-election campaign to request comment on the shared posts.
Salazar, who represents a district with a large Hispanic population, sparked Trump’s anger last week after distancing herself from the president in a new ad ahead of the midterms. The congresswoman addresses Trump directly in the ad, looking at the camera as she says: «Some of your immigration enforcement measures have gone too far.»
Salazar cites statistics that, she said, show that 50 per cent of people detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in July «had no criminal record.»
After the ad was published, Trump confirmed, in response to a journalist’s question, that he had seen it and that he still supported the Florida congresswoman, although he did not share her point of view.
«I don’t agree with her,» Trump said in the Oval Office. He added that Salazar «went a little soft on the border» and that she would not have won without his endorsement.
Salazar told «Face The Nation» that she had a «very good conversation» with the president after publishing the campaign ad and described Trump as «very receptive» to her warning that Hispanic voters feel «betrayed» ahead of the midterms.
The congresswoman’s ad comes after ICE increased immigration arrests across the country during the summer. In August, for example, ICE detained some 51,000 people, reaching a new high during Trump’s second administration. The previous high had been recorded the month before, when the agency detained more than 46,000 people in July.
