MAGA Demands Deportation for Trump-Endorsed Republican After Saying His Immigration Crackdown Went 'Too Far'

Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Trump-endorsed Republican from Florida, is facing backlash from several MAGA-aligned commentators and activists after criticising some of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement efforts in a campaign advertisement.

Anthony Sabatini, a Trump-aligned activist and Lake County commissioner, responded to the ad on X by writing, 'Deport her ASAP.'

Salazar, who represents Florida's 27th Congressional District, used the bilingual advertisement to warn Trump that some of his immigration enforcement efforts had gone too far. She also argued that Hispanic voters who helped Trump return to the White House in 2024 could feel betrayed by the administration's approach.

'Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far,' Salazar said in the advertisement, which aired in both English and Spanish. She then cited a statistic that she said showed the scale of the issue, claiming that half of roughly 50,000 people detained in July had no criminal record.

Salazar presented the figure in the campaign ad, and it has not been established here as an independently verified statistic. Her wider message was a direct public criticism of the administration's immigration enforcement policies.

Rep. Salazar Faces Backlash From MAGA Commentators

Several MAGA-aligned commentators and activists criticised Salazar after the ad's release, with some calling on Trump to revoke his endorsement of the Florida Republican.

Conservative commentator Tomi Lahren described the ad as 'an absolute betrayal of Trump and his 77 million voters'. Her reaction was among several attacks directed at Salazar after she publicly warned Trump about his immigration policies.

The backlash comes despite Trump having previously endorsed Salazar's re-election. In a Truth Social post, Trump praised the congresswoman for what he described as a 'truly fantastic job' representing Florida's 27th Congressional District.

Trump also said Salazar had his 'Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election', adding that she 'WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!'

Trump had not publicly responded to Salazar's latest advertisement as of Thursday evening, according to reports.

The contrast between the endorsement and the latest criticism has drawn attention to Salazar's decision to publicly challenge part of the president's immigration enforcement approach while seeking another term in Congress.

Sabatini's response was particularly direct. The Lake County commissioner and Trump-aligned activist wrote on X, 'Deport her ASAP.'

Salazar is a US citizen and a sitting member of Congress. Sabatini's post itself does not establish whether the reference to deportation was intended literally or rhetorically.

What Rep. Salazar's Ad Shows

Salazar's advertisement marked a public criticism of Trump's approach to immigration enforcement. Rather than opposing immigration enforcement generally, she focused her criticism on what she described as efforts that had gone too far.

'Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policy,' Salazar said. She added that the same Hispanic voters who supported Trump in 2024 'feel betrayed today'.

Her comments place the Florida Republican in a different position from the MAGA figures who responded by attacking her. Several commentators called for Trump to withdraw his backing, while Lahren described the advertisement as a betrayal of the president and his voters.

The political context is also relevant to Salazar's re-election campaign.

A September poll commissioned by Democratic challenger Eliott Rodriguez's campaign found the two candidates tied at 45% among likely voters. The Bendixen & Amandi International survey was conducted for Rodriguez's campaign.

The poll was campaign-commissioned rather than an independent polling consensus, making its methodology and sponsorship relevant when assessing the result.

Salazar's district includes a large Hispanic population. The Washington Post reported that 74% of the district's population is Hispanic. Her advertisement directly appealed to Hispanic voters who supported Trump in the previous presidential election and warned that some could feel alienated by his enforcement policies.

Trump's endorsement remains significant in the campaign, but his response to Salazar's latest intervention had not been made public as of Thursday evening.

The episode has left Salazar facing criticism from figures aligned with the president she has previously received backing from, while her campaign continues against Rodriguez in Florida's 27th Congressional District.