President Donald Trump Friday accused Sen. Chris Van Hollen of looking like a "fool" over his trip to El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the immigrant deported on allegations of being a member of the MS-13 gang.
"Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!" the president posted Friday on Truth Social.
The Democrat senator from Maryland posted an image of himself with Abrego Garcia on social media Thursday, after traveling to the Central American country to push for his release.
He commented with the photo that the main goal of his trip to El Salvador was to meet with Abrego Garcia. The photo itself has sparked some controversy, as the two were in a room enjoying beverages that have led to some debate about what was in the glasses.
The image was also far different from the images of detainees released from the El Salvador maximum security prison, where many deportees from the United States have been sent.
Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, meeting at the White House earlier this week, said they have no basis to return Abrego Garcia to the United States, even after the U.S. Supreme Court has called on the administration to "facilitate" his return.
The administration claims that Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland, has ties to the MS-13 gang. His attorneys, however, say the government has provided no evidence to back the claim and insist that Abrego Garcia has never been charged with any crimes related to gang activity.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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