President Donald Trump offered praise for El Salvadoran President Nayib Armando Bukele following the latter’s official state visit to the U.S. on Monday, noting that the foreign leader’s approach to violent crime has made his country much safer.
Specifically, Trump was referring to Bukele’s construction of a number of ultra-modern, high-security prisons, one of which – a facility known as CECOT- is being used to house dangerous MS-13 gang members who have been deported from the United States.
In an interview with Fox News’ Rachel Campos-Duffy, wife of former Fox News host and current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Trump appeared to suggest that his administration was looking into using El Salvadoran prisons to house dangerous “homegrown” criminals, perhaps American citizens.
“We are using [President Bukele’s] system because we’re getting rid of our criminals out of the United States,” Trump told Campos-Duffy.
She responded: “Could we use it for our own violent criminals?”
“I call them homegrown criminals… We are looking into it, and we want to do it,” Trump said.
WATCH:
@POTUS: “We are using [President Bukele’s] system because we’re getting rid of our criminals out of the United States.”@RCamposDuffy: “Could we use it for our own violent criminals?”@POTUS: “I call them homegrown criminals… We are looking into it and we want to do it.” pic.twitter.com/qisbVylexq
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) April 15, 2025
It’s not clear that the Trump administration would have the constitutional or legal authority to essentially deport an American citizen to a foreign prison.
Earlier in the day, Trump sat with Bukele in the Oval Office and took questions from assembled media.
Things heated up when Trump, Buckele, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and adviser Stephen Miller all took turns tearing into CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins after the El Salvadoran president said his country will not send suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the administration to “facilitate” his return.
JUST IN: President Trump has multiple members of his admin take turns ripping CNN’s Kaitlan Collins after she asked why an alleged MS-13 member was deported to El Salvador.
Lmao.
Pam Bondi, Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, as well as Nayib Bukele all ripped the media after Collins… pic.twitter.com/R7Y2ZOSt37
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 14, 2025
“How can I return a criminal to the US? Smuggle a terrorist in?” Bukele inquired before labeling Collins’ questions as “absurd.”
“The question is preposterous,” Bukele says. “I don’t have the power to return him to the United States.”
It was then Rubio’s turn.
“I don’t understand what the confusion is. Abrego Garcia, a citizen of El Salvador, was illegally in the United States and was returned to his country. The foreign policy of the United States is conducted by the president of the United States, not by a court,” the former U.S. Senator from Florida said.
Collins then asked: “You said if SCOTUS said return someone, you’d abide by that?”
At that point, Trump jumped in: “How long do we have to answer this question from you? Why don’t you just say, ‘Isn’t it wonderful we’re keeping criminals out of our country?’ Why can’t you just say that? Why do you go over and over – that’s why nobody watches you. You have NO credibility.”