A former federal prosecutor bashed President Donald Trump on Monday night over what he described as the president's "most callous and craven" pardon yet.
Last week, Trump issued a pardon to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), who was convicted of money laundering charges and advancing the interests of Azerbaijan while Cuellar served during the Biden administration. The trial had been scheduled to begin in April 2026.
Cuellar appeared on Fox News last weekend, where he was asked if he planned on running for re-election as a Republican. Cuellar said he would run as a conservative Democrats who is willing to work with Trump. That answer did not sit well with the president.
“Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henry’s daughters, will not like," Trump wrote on Truth Social after Cuellar's announcement. "Oh’ well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!”
Glenn Kirschner, an ex-DOJ prosecutor, discussed Cuellar's pardon on a new episode of "The Legal Breakdown" with progressive YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen.
"It's one of many potential crimes that Donald Trump commits when he corruptly delivers a pardon expecting to get something in return for that official act that he took of delivering a pardon," Kirschner said of Trump's expectation that Cuellar would switch parties after his pardon.
"And what he wants is political loyalty in return that will enure to his personal benefit because he obviously wants to continue to keep the House of Representatives in Republican hands and this is now going to thwart his efforts in that regard," he continued. "It is political corruption of the most callous and craven. It probably also constitutes a violation of any number of federal laws."