El Salvador President Nayib Bukele gave a seven-word response Saturday to a lengthy statement by a Democratic U.S. senator condemning the Trump administration’s capture and overthrow of socialist Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen posted a 204-word denunciation Saturday morning to X claiming the administration’s swift removal of Maduro, in an operation which reportedly did not cause a single U.S. casualty, was an “act of war.” Bukele, a key ally of President Donald Trump known for his hardline stance against criminal gangs including MS-13, responded to the post, “So you just want to defend thugs.”
Van Hollen made headlines in the spring of 2025 for his steadfast advocacy on behalf of reputed MS-13 gangbanger and suspected human smuggler Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national living in Maryland before his deportation by the Trump administration.