President Donald Trump amplified more than a dozen social media posts criticizing Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar on Saturday, including one calling her a "backstabber" and another urging Republicans to replace her, days after the Miami congresswoman publicly challenged his immigration enforcement policies.
"She is nothing but a backstabber," read one post shared by Trump, while another said, "we need a NEW Republican to Replace Salazar." Trump did not write those comments himself, and the White House did not say whether he planned to withdraw his endorsement of Salazar ahead of the November 3 election, The Miami Herald reports.
The dispute began Sept. 17, when Salazar released a campaign ad directly addressing Trump. "Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far," she said, adding that Hispanics who helped elect him in 2024 "feel betrayed today." She also warned Trump to "be careful" about advice he was receiving on immigration.
The following day, Trump criticized Salazar over the ad but said he still backed her reelection and argued that his endorsement had helped put her in office. Salazar later told CBS she had a "fantastic conversation" with Trump and that he was "very receptive" to her arguments for changing the administration's deportation strategy.
The Washington Post subsequently reported that Salazar's appeal had drawn criticism from some Latino voters in her South Florida district, including Trump supporters who favored his immigration policies. Others who opposed the crackdown questioned why Salazar had not challenged Trump sooner.
The dispute comes as Salazar seeks reelection in a district that is nearly three-quarters Hispanic and that Trump carried in 2024. Her Democratic challenger, former television anchor Eliott Rodriguez, has argued that her criticism of Trump is politically motivated, while Salazar says the position reflects her longstanding views on immigration.
A White House spokesperson told the Herald that Salazar "has her view, but that is not the President's."
