Salazar, who represents Florida’s 27th Congressional District in Miami-Dade County, released a video earlier this month addressing Trump directly. In the spot, she stated that “some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far,” citing data from the Deportation Data Project indicating that 50% of individuals detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in July had no criminal record. She warned that Hispanic voters, who supported Trump’s 2024 victory, now feel “betrayed” by the administration’s approach.
Following the ad’s release, Trump initially told reporters in the Oval Office that he disagreed with Salazar, claiming she had “got a little bit soft on the border” and would not have won her seat without his endorsement. However, his rhetoric escalated on Saturday when he reposted multiple attacks from other users on Truth Social. One shared post called Salazar a “back stabber,” while another asserted, “So we need a NEW Republican to Replace Salazar.” A third post urged primarying her in two years. Neither the White House nor Salazar’s campaign office immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the reposts.
The political stakes for Salazar are high. Although she is a Republican running in a district that Trump won by nearly 15 points in 2024, recent polling indicates the president is now ten points underwater in Miami-Dade County. The county has been significantly impacted by the administration’s immigration crackdown, which included the operation of the now-shuttered “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center, a facility widely criticized for human rights violations. Salazar’s challenger, Eliot Rodriguez, has also entered the fray, arguing in interviews that the president is receiving bad advice on immigration policy.
“There are no attacks here; I’m just forewarning him,” Salazar said on Face the Nation. “And advising him, as a member of Congress from the South Florida area, that some of his advisors are just not presenting the whole picture.”
Salazar’s vulnerability is part of a broader pattern of Republican electoral challenges in the upcoming midterms. The Cook Political Report has recently downgraded both Salazar and fellow Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna to “Lean R” territory, indicating they are more imperiled than previously assessed due to a climate increasingly hostile to Republicans. The report notes that while Republicans won a significant margin in 2024, the president’s current approval ratings are dragging down House members in competitive districts. Cook House Editor Erin Covey wrote that it increasingly appears unlikely that Republicans can maintain control of the House, with Democrats needing to gain just three seats to take back the majority.
The shift in political ratings reflects the tangible consequences of the administration’s immigration policies on voter sentiment. ICE arrests have surged nationwide, with the agency taking approximately 51,000 people into custody in August, a new high for the current administration. This follows more than 46,000 arrests in July. For Salazar, the pressure is compounded by the fact that her district spans a heavily immigrant community that was central to Trump’s 2024 coalition. As the midterm election approaches, the conflict between Salazar and the White House illustrates the strain that aggressive policy implementation is placing on the party’s congressional base.
Despite Trump’s online aggression, he has not formally withdrawn his endorsement of Salazar. However, the nature of the attacks suggests a potential shift in party strategy or a personal rift that could influence primary dynamics in the future. The next critical step for Salazar will be navigating the remainder of her reelection campaign while managing the fallout from the president’s public criticism, all while facing a Democratic challenger in a district where the political tide is visibly turning.
