Bulwark Takes – Episode Summary

Episode: Trump Expected Payback—Rep. Cuellar Didn’t Deliver
Host: Sam Stein (The Bulwark)
Date: December 7, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of Bulwark Takes dives into the recent controversy involving former President Donald Trump’s unexpected pardon of Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar. The discussion unpacks the motives, fallout, and political tensions spawned by Trump’s action, Cuellar’s response, and the broader implications for U.S. pardoning powers, particularly as they relate to another controversial pardon of the ex-President of Honduras. The episode is energetic, lightly sarcastic, and focused on the interplay of loyalty, political opportunism, and party strategy in a changed political landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Unusual Pardon of Henry Cuellar

• Background:
  • Henry Cuellar, a moderate Democrat from Texas (noted as one of the last anti-abortion Democrats), was indicted by the Biden DOJ in 2024 for allegedly taking $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan oil and gas company.
  • Cuellar represents a Trump-leaning, heavily targeted congressional district.
• Trump’s Motivation and Oversight:
  • Trump pardoned Cuellar in a move that “seemed counterintuitive” given Republicans were targeting Cuellar’s seat.
  • Notably, the pardon was done without informing key Republican leaders like Speaker Mike Johnson or the NRCC chair, leaving them “totally blindsided.”
  • The assumption among pundits was that Cuellar would respond to the pardon by not running, or running as a Republican—a sort of quid pro quo. But Cuellar filed for reelection as a Democrat, surprising Trump.

“Apparently they didn’t work out the details prior to Trump issuing the pardon, and Cuellar just decides to run as a Democrat. So you can imagine, Trump’s not a big fan of this move from Cuellar.”
— Sam Stein [03:37]

2. Trump’s Predictable Outrage on Truth Social

• Following Cuellar’s unexpected decision, Trump posted a lengthy, sarcastic Truth Social rant, expressing feeling deceived by Cuellar and lamenting the “lack of loyalty.”
• Excerpt of Trump’s post (paraphrased for brevity):
  • Claims Democrats wanted to imprison Cuellar and his wife for 15 years.
  • Says he pardoned them based on “the daughter’s loving request” (though he admits he never actually spoke to the family).
  • Complains Cuellar is running as a Democrat and working “with the same radical left scum.”
  • Threatens “next time, no more Mr. Nice Guy.”

“Such a lack of loyalty, something that Texas voters and Henry’s daughters will not like. … Next time, no more Mr. Nice Guy.”
— Donald J. Trump (read by Sam Stein) [05:22]

3. Cuellar’s Public Response: Loyalty to Self, Not A Party Switch

• On Fox’s Maria Bartiromo’s show, Cuellar reinforced his Democratic credentials and denied any plans to switch parties.
• Cuellar highlights his bipartisan voting record and draws on LBJ’s mantra: “I’m an American, I’m a Texan, and I’m a Democrat in that order.”
• He criticized party-over-country thinking and expressed his intent to continue working across the aisle.

“I just feel that, you know, I follow the words of President LBJ … I’m an American, I’m a Texan, and I’m a Democrat in that order. And I think anybody that puts party before their country is doing a disservice to their country.”
— Rep. Henry Cuellar [06:36]

• On responding to Trump’s rant:
  • Cuellar relates that he was at church, “prayed for the President,” and clarifies his conservative Democratic stance.
  • He points out that the indictment landed just before a primary challenge from the left, suggesting strategic targeting by the Biden administration.

“I prayed for the President, I prayed for his family, and I prayed for the presidency, because if the president succeeds, the country succeeds.”
— Rep. Henry Cuellar [07:04]

4. The Broader Pardon Pattern: Soft on Corruption?

• Sam Stein segues from the Cuellar case to Trump’s recent pardon of the former president of Honduras, who had been convicted for permitting a massive drug trafficking operation.
• Noted paradox: While the current administration attacks drug boats in the Caribbean, Trump lets a key facilitator (the Honduran ex-president) off the hook.
• The same DOJ figure (Emil Bovey) went from prosecuting drug collaborators to joining Trump’s legal and judicial choices.

“It’s just not … the hypocrisy is just absurd. Right? It’s like, you go after the smugglers, but you’re not going after the person who allowed his country to be just sort of a gateway for the drug trade.”
— Sam Stein [09:18]

5. GOP Evasion and Deflection

• On ABC, Senator Eric Schmidt faces tough questions from George Stephanopoulos about the Honduran pardon; Schmidt claims ignorance and pivots to attacking media bias.

“I’m not familiar with the facts or circumstances. But I think what’s telling here is to try to imply that somehow President Trump is soft on drug smuggling is just ridiculous.”
— Sen. Eric Schmidt [10:05]

• Sam Stein calls out the pattern of MAGA Republicans feigning ignorance and deflecting with accusations of media bias.

“A sitting senator is unfamiliar with highly controversial pardon that the President of the United States gave to the ex-president of Honduras … Obviously he’s aware of it, doesn’t want to talk about it.”
— Sam Stein [10:53]

6. The Underlying Message: Out-of-Control Pardoning Power

• Sam Stein closes with a critique of Trump’s use of the pardon power—calling it “nonsensical,” “corrupt,” and wielded without precedent or logic.
• Pardons that upend political strategy and force party members into defensive postures have “bounce back political ramifications” for both Trump and his party.

“The pardons are nonsensical ... Donald Trump [is] exercising a power ... to a degree that we have never seen in this country before, with corrupt intent, with no logic. And now … with some bounce back political ramifications for him and his party."
— Sam Stein [11:10]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump’s Disbelief at Cuellar’s Disloyalty [05:22]
  “Such a lack of loyalty, something that Texas voters and Henry’s daughters will not like. … Next time, no more Mr. Nice Guy.”
• Cuellar’s Party Loyalty [06:36]
  “I’m an American, I’m a Texan, and I’m a Democrat in that order.”
• GOP Deflection on Honduras Pardon [10:05]
  “I’m not familiar with the facts or circumstances. But ... to imply that somehow President Trump is soft on drug smuggling is just ridiculous.”
• Sam Stein’s Sarcastic Wrap-up [11:10]
  “A sitting senator is unfamiliar with [a] highly controversial pardon … obviously he’s aware of it, doesn’t want to talk about it … the pardons are nonsensical.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:31] - Episode opens: Sam Stein sets context for Cuellar’s pardon.
• [03:37] - Trump’s expectation of loyalty and GOP blindsided by the pardon.
• [05:22] - Stein reads Trump’s Truth Social rant.
• [06:25] – [07:38] - Henry Cuellar’s Fox interview and direct response.
• [07:48] - Sam Stein pivots to the Honduras pardon.
• [09:38] - Senator Eric Schmidt on ABC, evading questions.
• [11:10] - Sam Stein summarizes the chaos and political irony of the pardons.

Summary Takeaway

This episode dissects the disconnect and chaos unleashed by Trump’s resentful, expectation-laden pardon of Henry Cuellar, whose refusal to “pay back” Trump by switching parties or quitting quickly became fodder for both ridicule and concern about the integrity of presidential pardons. The cast draws parallels with another controversial pardon, highlighting the GOP’s awkward, evasive handling of the fallout. Ultimately, the episode paints a picture of pardons as increasingly naked tools of political self-interest, creating headaches rather than advantages for those wielding them—and sparking broader debates about the checks (or lack thereof) on presidential power.