Trump says he ‘could’ get Kilmar Abrego Garcia back from El Salvador prison

President Trump said he could get Kilmar Abrego Garcia back from a Salvadoran prison if he were a “gentleman.”

During an ABC News interview that aired Tuesday night, host Terry Moran argued that Mr. Trump could get Mr. Abrego Garcia back with his presidential power.

“I could,” Mr. Trump said when asked about facilitating his return.

“And if he were the gentleman that you say he is, I would do that,” he said.

The president was pushed on the court’s saying the Trump administration should facilitate the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who was in the United States illegally and living in Maryland.

Having lost his appeals to stay in the U.S., Mr. Abrego Garcia was ordered deported, but a judge said he could not be deported to El Salvador specifically because of fear of persecution there. But he was sent on a flight to the El Salvador mega prison through an “administrative error.”

The administration argues that all it can do is provide a plane to facilitate his return if Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele wants to send him back.

Mr. Bukele has said he will not do that and that U.S. courts can’t make him do it.

Mr. Trump on Tuesday argued that the man is a gang member and should not be brought back and ridiculed the frequent identification of Mr. Abrego Garcia on ABC and other news outlets as a “Maryland dad.”

“The person that you’re talkin’ about, you know, you’re makin’ this person sound – 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, OK? This is not an innocent, wonderful gentleman from Maryland,” he said.