Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) received applause Thursday after he succeeded in meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man wrongly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador who has become the face of the Trump administration's mass deportation drive. But El Salvador President Nayib Bukele used the opportunity to denounce critics.
Bukele was quick to share photos from Van Hollen's meeting with Garcia on the social platform X, saying, "Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the 'death camps' & 'torture', now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!"
American political commentators reacted to the Salvadoran president's post, saying he "caved" to pressure. Earlier this week, Bukele had vowed not to return the deported man to the United States during his Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump.
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MSNBC contributor Rotimi Adeoye wrote, "You caved lol please wear a suit next time you enter our oval office, thanks."
Political commentator Krystal Ball said, "That Bukele was pressured into doing this is so important. It is a significant step towards making sure the Trump regime will not just be able to endlessly disappear people into foreign prisons. Please keep up the pressure!!!"
The Atlantic writer Tyler Harper shared a video clip from Van Hollen from a news conference he addressed in El Salvador, saying, "It’s hard not to find this image — of a single Democratic senator standing alone in some empty room in a foreign country and defending the rule of law — very moving."
"There should have been more senators there with him, but kudos to
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Others echoed this view, noting that Van Hollen took action instead of merely issuing statements.
Karthik Soora, a Democratic politician from Texas, wrote, "I loved Booker’s filibuster, but Van Hollen demonstrated more clearly than anyone what the difference between action and performance is."
On Wednesday, Van Hollen flew to El Salvador and said the main goal of his trip was to meet with Abrego Garcia. "Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return," he said in a post on X announcing he succeeded in meeting with Abrego Garcia.
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