On Friday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “The Hill,” Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) said that it will depend on conditions on the ground whether it’s necessary to keep troops in Los Angeles and said that the images of violence in the city “are perfect campaign ads” for Republicans and “some of us, we’ve been insulated, because we’ve been talking strong about border security” but that isn’t true of every Democrat.
Host Blake Burman asked, “I just heard the vice president say that the soldiers and the Marines are still necessary. Are you there as well?”
Cuellar responded, “Well, again, it’s one of those things, the people that are on the ground have to make that decision. It’s, again, if we’re going to see something that’s going to flare up, I don’t know. But, again, we’ve got to keep the peace. If it’s one of those situations that we’re not going into a situation that turns violent, then I don’t think we need them. But I think, for a while, they’re going to be there until we see what sort of peaceful protest we have. And let me tell you, those fires, those things are perfect campaign ads for certain people in 2026. And you’ve got to understand, for the president, — by the Republicans against Democrats. And, look, for some of us, we’ve been insulated, because we’ve been talking strong about border security. But for other folks, those type[s] of [images] are perfect ads that can be used against some of my colleagues, unfortunately.”
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