By: John Dover, Political Correspondent
April 17, 2025
San Salvador, El Salvador – Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) thought his April 16, 2025, trip to El Salvador to advocate for the release of Kilmar Ábrego García, a deported Salvadoran with alleged MS-13 ties, would score him political points. Instead, the stunt backfired spectacularly, drawing fierce backlash from conservatives on X and a firm rejection from El Salvadorian officials, as captured in videos shared by @ChrisVanHollen and @AliBradleyTV. For Trump supporters, Van Hollen’s failed mission is a textbook case of Democratic virtue signaling gone wrong—and they’re reveling in his humiliation.
I just landed in San Salvador a little while ago, and I look forward to meeting with the team at the U.S. embassy to discuss the release of Mr. Abrego Garcia.
I also hope to meet with Salvadoran officials and with Kilmar himself. He was illegally abducted and needs to come home. pic.twitter.com/MzKe7U8Wwr
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) April 16, 2025
Van Hollen announced his trip on April 15, claiming García was “illegally abducted” and that he was working to bring him “home” to Maryland, per his X post []. But conservatives, like @MAGAForce2024, quickly pointed out the irony: “García is home—he’s a citizen of El Salvador!” They also criticized Van Hollen for ignoring Rachel Morin’s family, a Maryland constituent whose killer, a Salvadoran migrant, was convicted on April 15, as reported by The Baltimore Sun []. @PatriotPulse wrote, “Van Hollen can’t even call Morin’s family but flies to El Salvador for an MS-13 thug? Disgraceful.”
The senator’s meeting with El Salvador’s Vice President Félix Ulloa on April 16 was a flop. Van Hollen requested to visit García at the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot), but Ulloa denied him, saying he needed to “make earlier provisions” and suggesting the U.S. Embassy handle such requests, per a video posted by @AliBradleyTV []. Van Hollen was also unable to secure a phone call with García, prompting conservatives like @America1stMAGA to mock, “He could’ve called from the U.S.—this was all for the photo op!” The White House, via Karoline Leavitt, slammed Van Hollen’s trip, noting his lack of concern for Maryland victims like Morin while prioritizing an “illegal alien,” per AP News [].
Video:
NEW: Maryland Senator @ChrisVanHollen says his request made to the VP of El Salvador to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia was denied.
The senator said he was told by the Vice President "you need to make earlier provisions to visit CECOT.”
Van Hollen says he wasn’t able to meet with… pic.twitter.com/FRBYuutcNY
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) April 16, 2025
Van Hollen’s actions—demanding García be allowed to “walk out” of prison and return to the U.S.—drew accusations of undermining U.S. policy, with some, like @JusticeForAll22, invoking the Logan Act: “He’s meddling in foreign affairs to grandstand!” García’s wife filing protective orders against him, as reported by The Guardian [], only fueled conservative outrage. For Trump supporters, Van Hollen’s taxpayer-funded trip—costing an estimated $50,000, per a rough GAO estimate of similar congressional travel []—was a predictable failure. “Dems have no clue how this plays with Americans,” wrote @MAGAForce2024. The stunt’s collapse has conservatives laughing, seeing it as proof of Democratic disconnect in the face of Trump’s hardline immigration stance.
