Hakeem Jeffries Sides With Trump Over Pardon For Texas Democrat
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stunned CNN viewers Wednesday by backing President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to pardon Texas Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar, who was facing serious charges of bribery, money laundering, and foreign influence stemming from a Biden-era indictment.
Speaking on The Situation Room, Jeffries called the federal case against Cuellar “very thin to begin with” and predicted the charges would have been dismissed even without a pardon. “The reality is this indictment was very thin… The charges were eventually going to be dismissed, if not at the trial court level, by the Supreme Court,” Jeffries said. He described Cuellar as a “beloved” member of the Democratic Caucus and said he was pleased with the outcome, regardless of how or why Trump made the call.
“I don’t know why the President decided to do this,” Jeffries added. “I think the outcome was exactly the right outcome.”
The pardon, announced earlier Wednesday, shocked political observers given Cuellar’s Democratic affiliation — but the congressman had long been a vocal critic of President Biden’s border policies. Trump argued the case was politically motivated and praised Cuellar for “speaking the truth” about the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border.
The charges, brought by the Justice Department in May 2024, alleged that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, accepted $600,000 in bribes from Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil company and a major bank in Mexico. Prosecutors claimed the payments were funneled through sham consulting contracts and shell companies in exchange for Cuellar’s influence on U.S. foreign policy and financial regulations.
Trump has repeatedly blasted the case as a political hit job. “Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — your nightmare is finally over!”
Cuellar responded by filing to run in the 2026 Democratic primary shortly after the pardon, telling reporters “nothing has changed” and affirming his commitment to remain in the party. Punchbowl News reported Cuellar made clear he has no plans to switch parties, even though Trump carried his South Texas district in 2024 and the seat is now considered a “toss-up” by the Cook Political Report.
Jeffries reinforced that expectation, saying Cuellar remains a “highly-valued Member of the House Democratic Caucus.”
With Jeffries’ unexpected endorsement of the pardon, Trump may have created a rare moment of bipartisan agreement — even if for very different reasons. The Cuellar case continues to raise questions about selective prosecution, political retaliation, and whether the Biden-era Justice Department crossed the line in targeting one of its own.