President Trump lashed out at Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) on Monday, saying he never expected the congressman he pardoned to run for office again as a Democrat and accusing him of disloyalty.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump called Cuellar a "weak and incompetent version of me" and was furious about his decision to run for reelection in Texas's 28th Congressional District rather than step aside after Trump pardoned him.

"In doing so, I never assumed he would be running for Office again, and certainly not as a Democrat," Trump wrote.

Trump said he granted Cuellar the pardon without expecting him to remain in Congress. He explained his reasoning for sparing Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, from a possible 20-year prison sentence after they were accused of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes and laundering the funds.

He said he was swayed by "heart wrenching and beautiful" letters he received from their daughters begging for mercy for their parents. He shared the Nov. 12 letter from Christina and Catherine Cuellar, who suggested their father's "independence and honesty" may have opened him up to an investigation in the first place.

Trump said he also believed the Biden administration targeted Rep. Cuellar over disagreements on border policy.

"Henry's views on these subjects were not strong, but they were better than other Democrats," Trump said. "Biden and his crew of Radical Left Thugs did not like those things about Cuellar, and they worked hard, and expected to put him in jail for the rest of his life."

Cuellar, who has represented Texas's 28th District in Congress since 2005, won the state's Democratic primary in March and advanced to the general election. 

Trump endorsed Cuellar's opponent in the race, Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, who advanced to the general election to face off against Cuellar after winning the state's Republican primary in March.

"I am fighting him for his seat in Congress because his views are not nearly as good or strong as Judge Tano Tijerina, who is much more powerful on the Border issue, cutting Taxes, our Military, and just about everything else than is Henry Cuellar," Trump said.

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