Trump posts series of attacks on GOP congresswoman who criticized him on immigration

President Donald Trump seemed to heighten his discontent with Republican Representative Maria Elvira Salazar on Saturday following the congresswoman's criticism of his immigration policies. Trump reposted a series of social media attacks on Salazar, who faced a challenging re-election bid in Florida amid the party's declining midterm prospects.

One post from a Trump supporter stated, "She is nothing but a back stabber. I'm glad the Latino support hasn't wavered." Another user wrote, "She wants amnesty for the ppl how criminally crossed our borders defying our laws." A third user suggested, "So we need a NEW Republican to Replace Salazar." The White House and Salazar's campaign were contacted by CNN for comment on the reposted materials.

Salazar, who represents a predominantly Hispanic constituency, faced Trump's criticism last week after releasing an ad in advance of the midterms. In the ad, Salazar directly addressed Trump, expressing her disapproval of certain immigration enforcement tactics. She cited statistics indicating that 50% of individuals detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in July had no criminal record.

Trump acknowledged seeing the ad but emphasized that he still supported Salazar, despite their differing opinions. He claimed she had softened her stance on border security and that he would not have secured her endorsement without her. Salazar claimed to have had a constructive conversation with Trump after posting the ad, describing him as "very receptive" to her concerns about Hispanic voters feeling "betrayed" in the lead-up to the midterms.

ICE's immigration enforcement activities surged nationwide during the summer, with the agency taking approximately 51,000 individuals into custody in August, marking a new high under the second Trump administration. The previous peak had been reached in July when over 46,000 people were detained.