President Donald Trump faced backlash after endorsing Honduran presidential candidate Tito Asfura and saying he would pardon former President Juan Orlando Hernández.
Several critics took to social media following the update from Trump, with many calling out the president’s decision as “unacceptable.”
“Absolutely unacceptable decision as this comes on the eve of crucial elections in Honduras,” journalist Thomas van Linge wrote on X amid the news.
Fellow journalist Yashar Ali expressed a similar sentiment, writing, “President Trump is directly and publicly intervening in the elections of a foreign nation and has also promised to grant a pardon to former President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández, who is currently serving a 45-year sentence in US federal prison for, among other things, participating in and profiting from a drug-trafficking conspiracy that moved more than 400 tons of cocaine into the United States (a street value in the tens of billions of dollars).”
He continued: “As president, Hernández took a country that already had deep narco-state characteristics and further centralized and institutionalized a narco-state model. Federal prosecutors showed that he took millions in bribes from cocaine traffickers — including money linked to El Chapo and the Sinaloa Cartel — and used the power of his office to protect traffickers and manipulate police and military operations. He did this in concert with his brother Tony Hernández — who is currently serving a life sentence in federal prison — as part of what US authorities describe as a violent, state-sponsored drug-trafficking conspiracy.”
Correspondent Wyatt Reed then called out Trump’s hypocrisy with the pardon, noting “a day after promising military strikes on Venezuela to ‘deter drug traffickers,’ Trump announced he’s pardoning the narco-dictator of Honduras.”
He added: “The announcement was made in a statement that constitutes blatant interference in Honduran elections, which threatens to withhold resources to the country if his preferred (narco-friendly) candidate doesn’t win Sunday.”
These comments shortly after the president took to his Truth Social page on Friday and publicly endorsed Asfura.
“If Tito Asfura wins for President of Honduras, because the United States has so much confidence in him, his Policies, and what he will do for the Great People of Honduras, we will be very supportive,” he penned. “If he doesn’t win, the United States will not be throwing good money after bad, because a wrong Leader can only bring catastrophic results to a country, no matter which country it is. Tito will be a Great President, and the United States will work closely with him in order to ensure the success, with all of its potential, of Honduras!”
Before signing off his note, Trump shared that he had decided to issue a “full and complete pardon” for Hernández, who he said had been “treated very harshly and unfairly.”
Trump noted, “This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success. VOTE FOR TITO ASFURA FOR PRESIDENT, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON YOUR UPCOMING PARDON. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE HONDURAS GREAT AGAIN!”
