Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) issued a pointed warning to Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, cautioning that the growing alliance between Bukele and former President Donald Trump may not prove to be a wise long-term strategy. Raskin, speaking on MSNBC’s Inside with Jen Psaki on Sunday, underscored that while the Trump administration may have been in power during this period, it is not an enduring force, and its influence will eventually fade.
The congressman’s remarks came after Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) visited El Salvador and met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who had been wrongfully deported and whose fate was at the center of a growing diplomatic conflict between the United States and El Salvador.
Raskin’s comments were pointed and critical of Bukele’s recent actions and rhetoric, particularly his refusal to comply with a Supreme Court order instructing the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia to U.S. custody. Instead, Bukele appeared to shrug off the demand, signaling his unwillingness to engage with the legal process in place and siding with Trump over the issue.
This stance has added fuel to the fire of the growing tension between the U.S. and El Salvador, with many Democrats seeing it as a troubling sign of an increasingly autocratic approach by Bukele, who has been increasingly criticized for his authoritarian tendencies.
“Look, President Bukele—who’s declared himself a dictator—and the other tyrants, dictators, and autocrats of the world have to understand that the Trump administration is not going to last forever,” Raskin said, speaking bluntly on Inside with Jen Psaki. His comment was a direct shot across the bow at Bukele, who, despite his growing ties with Trump, has faced mounting international criticism for his erosion of democratic norms and centralization of power.
Raskin emphasized that once the Trump administration comes to an end, which he predicts will happen sooner rather than later, the U.S. will return to its democratic roots, and those who have supported or enabled autocrats and dictators will not be forgotten. “We’re going to restore strong democracy to America, and we will remember who stood up for democracy in America and who tried to drive us down towards dictatorship and autocracy,” Raskin warned.
His words reflect the frustration and concern many Democrats feel as they watch Bukele align himself more closely with Trump, despite the significant risks that this may pose for El Salvador’s international reputation and its relations with the United States in the future.
The situation surrounding Kilmar Abrego Garcia has become a symbol of the larger diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and El Salvador. Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported by the Trump administration and sent to El Salvador, a country he had not lived in for decades.
The Supreme Court had issued an order for the Trump administration to “facilitate” his return, but the order also left room for the administration to push the blame onto the Salvadoran government if they did not comply. This led to a stand-off in which Bukele’s government dug in its heels, refusing to abide by the ruling, and further antagonizing U.S. lawmakers who were pushing for justice for Abrego Garcia.
In response to these developments, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) traveled to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia and discuss the ongoing legal and political efforts to bring him back to the United States. During his visit, Van Hollen also aimed to directly engage with Salvadoran officials, including President Bukele, to advocate for the return of the wrongfully deported man.
Bukele, however, reacted publicly to the visit in a dismissive and mocking manner. He posted on social media, poking fun at Van Hollen’s visit by joking that the two were “sipping margaritas,” a comment that was meant to undermine the seriousness of the senator’s diplomatic mission.
Van Hollen responded to Bukele’s taunts by clarifying the situation. He refuted the claim that the pair had been drinking margaritas during their meeting, stating that the drinks had been placed on the table by one of Bukele’s aides, but neither he nor the senator had consumed them.
“It’s a staged scene meant to distract from the real issue,” Van Hollen said, reiterating that the visit was about ensuring justice for Abrego Garcia and pursuing diplomatic channels to address the deportation issue.
Raskin, a strong supporter of Van Hollen, expressed pride in his colleague’s efforts, calling them a necessary and compassionate step in a complex and challenging situation. He said, “I’m very proud of my fellow Maryland lawmaker, Sen. Van Hollen, for taking the trip to visit with Abrego Garcia.
He restored the humanity to this whole controversy going on.” Raskin added that the narrative Bukele’s government tried to craft around the “margarita scene” was a deliberate attempt to undermine the political nature of the visit and distract from the broader issue at hand.
Bukele’s mockery of the meeting is just one of many instances in which the Salvadoran president has demonstrated a disregard for diplomatic norms and the weight of international relations. His refusal to return Abrego Garcia to U.S. custody is not only a slap in the face to American lawmakers and the legal process but also a troubling sign of Bukele’s growing authoritarianism.
In recent years, Bukele has increasingly embraced a style of governance that mirrors that of other populist, right-wing leaders, including Trump. From his heavy-handed approach to governing, to his frequent attacks on the press and the judiciary, Bukele’s actions have sparked concern among human rights groups and critics who worry about the erosion of democratic values in El Salvador.
For many in the U.S., the growing relationship between Bukele and Trump raises alarms about the future of U.S.-El Salvador relations. While Trump may be sympathetic to Bukele’s hardline stance on immigration and his strongman approach to politics, there are many who fear that such an alliance will ultimately harm both countries in the long run.
Trump’s time in office, which was marked by his divisive rhetoric and policies, will eventually come to an end. When that happens, Raskin and other Democrats are hopeful that the U.S. will return to a more traditional stance in foreign policy—one that prioritizes human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
Despite the current political climate, Raskin remains optimistic that the U.S. will eventually correct its course and that the influence of Trump and his allies will eventually dissipate. “We’re going to restore strong democracy to America,” Raskin reiterated during his MSNBC interview, signaling his belief that democracy and human rights will eventually prevail, even in the face of the current challenges.
As tensions between the U.S. and El Salvador continue to rise, it is clear that the political landscape in both countries is in a state of flux. The ongoing battle over the fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is just one example of the many complex issues that will need to be addressed in the years to come.
For now, however, Rep. Raskin and his colleagues are focused on holding both the Trump administration and President Bukele accountable for their actions, while working to restore the values of democracy and justice that they believe are central to the future of both nations.
In the end, it is clear that the relationship between the U.S. and El Salvador will be shaped not just by the actions of the Trump administration, but by the broader trajectory of U.S. foreign policy in the post-Trump era. Whether or not Bukele will remain aligned with Trump’s political ideology once the former president’s influence wanes is yet to be seen.
However, for now, Raskin and his fellow Democrats are steadfast in their belief that a return to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law is not only necessary but inevitable.
