Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) said Friday that Democratic Socialist congressional candidate Claire Valdez’s pledge to “fight for Mexico” is “embarrassing,” arguing it exposes a broader problem of divided loyalties among federal lawmakers.
Appearing on Fox News Channel’s “The Will Cain Show,” according to Breitbart, Luna — who identifies as Mexican American — pointed to Valdez’s social media posts as evidence that Congress should require members to disclose dual citizenship.
The exchange
Cain asked Luna directly about the New York candidate who, in his words, is “proclaiming that she will fight for Mexico.”
Luna responded that the statement was embarrassing, describing herself as “the first Mexican American elected to Congress from the state of Florida.” She said Valdez’s posts criticize corporations while avoiding scrutiny of Mexico’s government, which she described as responsible for one of the bloodiest election cycles in the last decade — a cycle in which she noted people were running for office.
Luna also suggested without evidence that individuals appearing in a photo with Valdez could be tied to cartel money, saying she would not be surprised if that were the case. She pointed to cartel violence against people who speak out about corruption within the Mexican government as context for her concern.
“So, you’re running for U.S. Congress, not Mexican Congress,” Luna continued, according to Breitbart. “Maybe understand the two.”
A renewed push on dual citizenship
Luna used the moment to re-up her call for Congress to mandate disclosure of dual citizenship. She argued that lawmakers cannot hold allegiances to two countries and said Valdez’s platform, in her view, would represent Mexico rather than the United States — something she believes should be called out directly.
The comments add to a growing debate over how candidates with international ties present themselves to voters, and whether existing disclosure rules are sufficient. Luna has previously raised concerns about dual nationals serving in Congress, though the source material did not specify the status of any pending legislation.
Valdez, a Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidate, has not responded publicly to Luna’s remarks as of the time of the broadcast. Her campaign’s platform and public statements have drawn attention from national Republicans in recent weeks, with Luna’s appearance marking one of the more pointed critiques from a sitting member of Congress.
What’s next
It remains unclear whether Luna plans to introduce formal legislation on dual-citizenship disclosure, and no timeline was given for any such proposal. The exchange also did not address whether Valdez holds dual citizenship herself — a question Luna implied but did not state as fact.
For now, the back-and-forth highlights how immigration, identity, and foreign policy remain flashpoints in congressional races across the country, even in districts far from the southern border. Luna’s remarks are likely to amplify the national profile of a candidate still competing in a primary, while giving supporters of stricter citizenship rules a fresh argument to press.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/19/gop-rep-luna-dsa-congressional-hopeful-claire-valdez-pledge-to-fight-for-mexico-is-embarrassing/