Photo: Michael Le Brecht II/ABC News
The fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland father and husband deported to El Salvador despite his legal protected status, remains in limbo amid a protracted legal fight between the federal government and the courts. Abrego Garcia was last seen during a brief meeting with Maryland senator Chris Van Hollen earlier this month, but both Salvadoran and American leaders have signaled that they feel facilitating his return is not their responsibility — despite a Supreme Court order mandating exactly that.
And in an Oval Office interview with ABC News that aired on Tuesday, President Trump suggested that he could help to return Abrego Garcia but that he simply doesn’t want to. During one exchange, ABC’s Terry Moran gestured to the Resolute Desk, saying, “You could get him back. There’s a phone on this desk.”
“I could,” Trump interjected.
Moran continued, “You could pick it up and with all the power of the presidency, you could call up the president of El Salvador and say, ‘Send him back.’”
Trump responded, “And if he were the gentleman that you say he is, I would do that. But he’s not. I’m not the one making this decision. We have lawyers that don’t want to do this.”
Host: You could call and get Abrego Garcia back.
Trump: I could
Host: But the Supreme Court has ordered you to facilitate his release.
Trump: I’m not the one making this decision
Host: You’re the president! pic.twitter.com/guteBMI0im
— FactPost (@factpostnews) April 30, 2025
Moran pressed Trump further on the case, pointing out that the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s order for the federal government to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return. Trump pushed back, reiterating his administration’s unfounded position that he is a criminal with extensive gang ties. “This is a MS-13 gang member, a tough cookie, been in lots of skirmishes, beat the hell out of his wife, and the wife was petrified to even talk about him, okay?” he said. “This is not an innocent, wonderful gentleman from Maryland.”
Trump’s off-the-cuff words directly conflict with his administration’s consistent legal argument that the government lacks the jurisdiction to directly facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return from a foreign country. U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis, who handed down the initial ruling ordering the government to act, has taken the administration to task for its noncompliance with her and the Supreme Court’s orders.
The conversation then turned to Abrego Garcia’s tattoos, which have been cited as evidence of his gang affiliation. Trump has frequently shared a purported photo of Abrego Garcia’s knuckles, which feature several tattoos that are alleged to represent MS-13. But in a tense back-and-forth with Moran, the president appeared to believe that the digitally added “MS-13” label over the photo was real.
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
“He had MS-13 on his knuckles, tattooed,” Trump said.
Moran responded, “He had some tattoos that were interpreted that way, but let’s move on.”
Trump interrupted, “Terry, Terry, Terry, don’t do that. It said M-S-one-three.”
Moran countered, “That was photoshopped.”
TRUMP: He had MS-13 on his knuckles, tattooed!
MORAN: That was photoshopped
TRUMP: Terry, they’re giving you the big break of a lifetime. I picked you. But you’re not being very nice. pic.twitter.com/NgCpEB8o1S
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 30, 2025
The president then lashed out at Moran directly: “Terry, you can’t do that. Hey, they’re giving you the big break of a lifetime. You’re doing the interview. I picked you because, frankly, I’d never heard of you, but that’s okay. I picked you, but you’re not being very nice,” he said.
