What did Donald Trump do today?

He got mad that a pardon recipient didn't hold up their end of the corrupt bargain he thought he'd made.

Rep. Henry Cuellar is a Democratic member of Congress representing a swing district near San Antonio. He was investigated by the FBI under President Biden for an influence-peddling scheme involving the central Asian nation of Azerbaijan. In 2024, he was indicted on money laundering, conspiracy, and bribery charges. As the Biden-era DOJ put it after the indictment was unsealed:

According to court documents, beginning in at least December 2014 and continuing through at least November 2021, Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar allegedly accepted approximately $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities: an oil and gas company wholly owned and controlled by the Government of Azerbaijan, and a bank headquartered in Mexico City. The bribe payments were allegedly laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who performed little to no legitimate work under the contracts. In exchange for the bribes paid by the Azerbaijani oil and gas company, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan. In exchange for the bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank. 

Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar are each charged with the following offenses, and if convicted, face maximum penalties as indicated: two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official act as an agent of a foreign principal required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), five years imprisonment on each count; two counts of bribery of a federal official, 15 years imprisonment on each count; two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, 20 years imprisonment on each count; two counts of violating the ban on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal required to register under FARA, two years imprisonment on each count; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, 20 years imprisonment; and five counts of money laundering, 20 years imprisonment on each count.

Trump pardoned Cuellar and his wife last week, meaning he will never go to trial for the conduct that got him indicted. Even though Cuellar is a Democrat, it's not surprising that Trump pardoned him, because it fits with his pattern of giving pardons to people accused of the same crimes he himself is known to have committed. Trump also pardoned the disgraced Democratic governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, who also tried to sell the power of his office.

But today, Trump seems to be regretting the pardon. Not because he now believes Cuellar should be punished for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to help Azerbaijani oil companies, but because he thinks Cuellar should have repaid him by switching his party affiliation to Republican. He posted this rant to his private microblogging service this morning:

Can you imagine??? The Democrats, under the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, who always use extreme force and jail-time to destroy their political opponent, wanted to put Congressman Henry Cuellar, and his wife, Imelda, in PRISON, for 15 years, which I predicted these Radical Left Lunatics would do - And they never stopped wanting to fulfill this evil quest! The Dems mercilessly went after Henry with everything they had! They were looking to destroy him, his lovely wife, his two young daughters, and anyone close to them. When the Democrats overwhelmingly lost the 2024 Presidential Election, and power with it, they, regardless, did everything they could to keep going after the Cuellar family. The Dems were vicious, and all because Henry strongly wanted, correctly, BORDER SECURITY! He was against illegals pouring into our Country, totally unchecked and unvetted. The Congressman didn’t want gang members, drug dealers, violent prisoners, people from mental institutions and yes, even murderers, in the good ol’ USA. It was all very unfair what they were doing to him and his family, so much so that his daughters wrote me a beautiful letter about their parents (Just posted on TRUTH!). After reading it I decided, in the interest of justice, and based on the daughter’s loving request, that I would give Henry and Imelda a Full and Complete Pardon. I never spoke to the Congressman, his wife, or his daughters, but felt very good about fighting for a family that was tormented by very sick and deranged people - They were treated sooo BADLY! I signed the papers, and said to people in the Oval Office that I just did a very good, perhaps life saving, thing. God was very happy with me that day! THEN IT HAPPENED!!! Only a short time after signing the Pardon, Congressman Henry Cuellar announced that he will be “running” for Congress again, in the Great State of Texas (a State where I received the highest number of votes ever recorded!), as a Democrat, continuing to work with the same Radical Left Scum that just weeks before wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in Prison - And probably still do! Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henry’s daughters, will not like. Oh’ well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP 

In other words, Trump is furious because he thought he was corruptly buying a corrupt politician's "loyalty" for himself—and is saying so in writing.

It's a federal crime for an officeholder to use the powers of their office—including the pardon—for corrupt private gain. That's exactly what Cuellar did to get himself indicted in the first place. 

Why does this matter?

• People who are caught abusing their office, then given due process before being indicted by a grand jury based on evidence, are not being "treated sooo BADLY." 

• Someone who really understood the "Art of the Deal" probably wouldn't give away everything up front like that.  

• It's a problem if a corrupt president refuses to acknowledge the existence of political corruption. 

• Admitting openly to a crime is something you do only if you're sure no one will ever hold you responsible.