Former Border Patrol Chief Calls Salazar Ad 'Terrible' and 'Pandering'

Retired Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem told Newsmax's program The Count that Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar's recent immigration advertisement was "terrible" and pure pandering, and said he hoped it "blows up in her face." Clem's comments came amid new border statistics released by federal agencies.

Context And Claims

Salazar, a three-term Republican from Florida first elected in 2020, released the ad on Thursday and addressed former President Donald Trump directly, saying that "some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far," according to Time. In the spot she says that "in July, 50% of the 50,000 people that were detained had no criminal record," a figure cited by the Florida Phoenix.

Border Numbers

Separately, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border in July were 94% lower than the Biden administration's monthly average and 96% below the December 2023 peak. The agencies also said these figures marked 15 consecutive months without any apprehended migrant being released into the U.S. interior.

What Clem Said

"We absolutely have seen that it can be sustained...we are no longer tolerating catch and release," Clem said. He credited the Trump administration with achieving in "one month" what his predecessor did not in "19 months," saying the White House is now willing to "trust the men and women" working the border.

Clem criticized Salazar directly: "Well, it was a terrible ad, and it is pandering," he said, arguing she blurred the difference between enforcement aimed at lawbreakers and broader immigration policy. "Trump is targeting people in violation of the U.S. immigration codes and U.S. laws," Clem added, calling Salazar's message "a bunch of nonsense that is just pandering." He also acknowledged the political risks of aggressive messaging: "I hate losing slots in Congress, but my gosh, that was terrible."

Political Implications

The Cook Political Report currently rates Salazar's seat as "Likely Republican." She is set to face Democrat Eliott Rodriguez in November. When asked whether the border numbers would help Republicans hold the House, Clem cautioned that "midterms are always going to be, you know, tricky."

Sources: Remarks aired on Newsmax's The Count; reporting from Time and the Florida Phoenix; official DHS/CBP border statistics.