President Donald Trump took aim at Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., late Saturday, sharing a fiery string of social media posts attacking the Florida Republican over a viral ad in which she accused him of having “betrayed” Hispanic voters.
The ad, which quickly caught fire online, saw Salazar leveling the betrayal charge directly at the president. Now, Trump appears to be firing back.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, the president amplified criticism of Salazar from other users, along with calls for her to be ousted from Congress.
“We need a NEW Republican to replace Salazar,” one user wrote in a post Trump shared.
Another post boosted by the president read, “I guess she misread the tea leaves.”
“I should have voted for the guy who primaried her,” a third post shared by Trump said.
Each of the posts took direct aim at Salazar, and several suggested she should no longer hold her seat in Congress.
The online broadside stands in sharp contrast to how Salazar herself had described her relationship with the president following the ad.
Appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation” last Sunday, the Florida congresswoman claimed there was no ill will from the president after her ad aired. She said the two had subsequently shared a “very good conversation.”
“He was a gentleman, very courteous, very receptive,” Salazar said.
That account, however, appeared to be at odds with reporting that surfaced over the weekend.
The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that, behind the scenes, Trump was frustrated with Salazar over the ad.
The president’s Saturday night string of posts attacking the Florida congresswoman seems to confirm that reporting.
The public clash comes at a critical moment for Salazar, who is locked in a tight battle to retain her seat.
The Republican lawmaker is facing Democrat Elliot Rodriguez in a district Trump carried by roughly 15 points in 2024.
Despite the president’s commanding margin there just two years ago, the contest has proven to be a close one.
Polling in the race is scant, but the two major surveys conducted both show the race well within the margin of error.
That leaves Salazar in a difficult position: fending off a Democratic challenger in a razor-thin race while the president amplifies calls for her replacement.
Salazar’s ad accusing the president of betraying Hispanic voters had already made waves before Trump weighed in. His decision to share posts calling for a new Republican to take her place marks a direct public rebuke of the congresswoman.
Just one week ago, Salazar was telling a national television audience that Trump had been courteous and receptive in the wake of the ad. By Saturday night, the president was sharing posts suggesting voters should have backed her primary challenger instead.
With polling showing the race well within the margin of error, the president’s posts land squarely in the middle of one of the tighter contests facing Republicans this cycle.
