Democrat Denies Sipping Those Margaritas With Suspected MS-13 Member

Democrat Sen. Chris Van Hollen (MD) is playing defense after his photo-op with an illegal immigrant and alleged MS-13 gang member didn’t go as planned.

As highlighted by The Daily Wire, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele mocked Van Hollen’s meeting with migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was sent to an El Salvador prison by the Trump administration.

“Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture’, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” Bukele said, adding a tropical drink emoji to the post.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the “death camps” & “torture”, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!???? pic.twitter.com/r6VWc6Fjtn

— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) April 18, 2025

Responding to the mockery, Van Hollen claims he didn’t sip “any margaritas or sugar water or whatever it is” when he met with Garcia, despite the glasses being put on the table. Notably, it was Van Hollen’s office that provided some photos of the meeting to the media.

“Let me just be very clear, neither of us touched the drinks that were in front of us,” the Democrat said, according to Fox News. “And if you want to play a little Sherlock Holmes, I’ll tell you how you can know that. … If you sip out of one of those glasses, some of whatever it was — salt or sugar — would disappear. You would see a gap. There’s no gap.”

“Nobody drank any margaritas or sugar water or whatever it is,” he emphasized.

Van Hollen then turned his attention to Bukele and President Donald Trump, seemingly blaming them for the spoiled photo-op.

“This is a lesson into the lengths that President Bukele will do to deceive people,” he said. “And it also shows the lengths that the Trump administration and the president will go to, because when he was asked by a reporter about this, he just went along for the ride.”

Trump reacted Friday on X to Democrats and their allies in the media defending Garcia, who has a history of allegedly beating his wife in addition to alleged MS-13 ties.

“This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such ‘a fine and innocent person,'” Trump wrote. “They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc. I was elected to take bad people out of the United States, among other things. I must be allowed to do my job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such “a fine and innocent person.” They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found… pic.twitter.com/31sNr2k1SK

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2025

The White House also chimed in, telling Sen. Van Hollen that Garcia is “NOT coming back” to the United States.

Fixed it for you, @NYTimes.

Oh, and by the way, @ChrisVanHollen — he’s NOT coming back. pic.twitter.com/VoAphh2ZPY

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 18, 2025

Related: Dem Senator Finally Meets Deported Illegal Immigrant In El Salvador