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Trump says he's backing Cuellar's GOP rival despite pardoning him after daughters' 'heart-wrenching' plea

Trump pardoned Cuellar and his wife, then endorsed a Republican challenger for Cuellar’s seat.

Trump says he's backing Cuellar's GOP rival despite pardoning him after daughters' 'heart-wrenching' plea
Image · Yahoo News

SOURCE CHECK

TAP FOR WHY
Host credibilityYahoo News74/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 11, 2026

Credibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.

Republished with credit

Republished from Fox News, with credit to the original publisher.

Fox News69/100 MEDIUM

2,212 stories · 68.8–69.2 · updated Oct 13, 2026

This is Fox News's own score, and this article is credited to Fox News. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.

Yahoo Newsvia Fox News
Jan 6, 2026
tl;dr

President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Tano Tijerina against Rep. Henry Cuellar, weeks after pardoning Cuellar and his wife in a federal corruption case. Trump said Cuellar’s views were not strong enough to merit his support.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
How does this story look for
Henry Cuellar D · TX-28
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

This story reports what happened without casting Cuellar in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Cuellar’s record.

● INFORMATIONAL

People in this story

SWIPE →
Henry Cuellar
D · TX-28

Texas representative and Democratic candidate whom Trump pardoned and then declined to endorse

PRIMARY SUBJECT
Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President who pardoned Cuellar and endorsed Tijerina

Trump's version of this story ↗

Former president whose administration brought the indictment, according to the article

Republican candidate and Cuellar’s endorsed challenger

Part of a bigger story

5 OUTLETS
Trump Endorses Tano Tijerina Against Henry Cuellar

Outlets agree that Trump pardoned Henry Cuellar and later endorsed Republican Tano Tijerina against him as Cuellar sought reelection. Left-leaning outlets frame Trump's criticism as a hostile response to Cuellar continuing his reelection bid after the pardon. Center outlets report the endorsement alongside Cuellar's continued campaign and his response that he made no deal for the pardon. Right-leaning outlets focus on Trump's rationale for backing Tijerina and, in Fox News's account, do not include a response from Cuellar.

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