President Trump has recently criticized Florida House Republican Maria Salazar, sharing several Truth Social posts that call for her to be replaced. This reaction follows Salazar’s campaign ad released last week, which was filmed outside the White House. In the ad, Salazar addressed Trump directly, stating, “Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far.”
The exchange highlights Trump’s displeasure with Salazar’s comments, occurring as polls show narrowing margins between her and Democratic challenger Eliott Rodriguez for Florida’s 27th congressional district in the upcoming November election. If Democrats gain control of the House, Trump’s ability to pass legislation during his last two years could be severely limited.
Newsweek reached out to Representative Salazar for comment via email on Sunday, outside regular office hours. On Saturday, Trump shared a Washington Post article discussing Salazar’s criticism. The article, titled “A Miami Republican faces backlash after publicly giving Trump immigration advice,” included opinions from various Florida Republicans who disagreed with her stance. A former GOP strategist mentioned that her move had backfired.
Trump proceeded to share a sequence of 13 posts from X, expressing public criticism of Salazar. John Hodnett, an X user, remarked, “She tried a stunt and it backfired!” Another user, James Vinson, labeled Salazar a “back stabber.” Juan Pablo asserted, “Trump must remove his endorsement of her.” Additional posts from anonymous users suggested replacing Salazar with another Republican and “Primary her in two years to see how she likes it.”
Salazar’s Immigration Stance
Salazar, a Cuban exile’s child, initiated the controversy with her campaign ad on September 17. She urged Trump to reconsider his immigration enforcement, citing statistics from July where 50 percent of 50,000 detained individuals lacked criminal records. Salazar urged caution about Trump’s immigration policy advisers and aspired for him to be “for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism.”
She emphasized providing immigrants a “dignified life” rather than amnesty. During her appearance on CBS News’ Face The Nation, Salazar reiterated the message delivered personally to Trump, highlighting his success in attracting Hispanic voters, “No other president was able to convince the Hispanics to vote 55 points for a GOP president.”
Salazar’s Election Prospects
Salazar’s chances against Rodriguez have decreased significantly, according to Polymarket and Kalshi, influential online financial exchanges. On September 1, Polymarket estimated an 82 percent chance of victory for Salazar, versus 16 percent for Rodriguez. As of Sunday, Salazar’s chances had dipped to 64 percent, with Rodriguez’s rising to 37 percent.
Similarly, Kalshi reported Salazar’s odds dropping from 78 percent to 64 percent, while Rodriguez’s rose from 22 percent to 37 percent. A Tulchin Research poll of 600 likely voters, sponsored by the Democratic supporting House Majority PAC, showed Salazar leading by one percentage point with 47 percent against Rodriguez’s 46 percent. Another poll by Bendixen & Amandi International for Rodriguez’s campaign tied both candidates at 45 percent each.
Salazar was victorious in the GOP primary in August, securing her candidacy for Florida’s 27th congressional district. Despite Trump’s dissatisfaction, he cannot replace her with another Republican for the seat. However, should Salazar choose to run again in 2028, Trump might endorse a primary challenger.
Newsweek editors Ben Kelly and Cristina Diciu are involved in covering this story.
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