Culiacán, Mexico – In a stunning moment aired on CNN on May 2, 2025, reporter Isobel Yeung’s attempt to coax a Sinaloa Cartel member into criticizing President Trump went hilariously awry when the gangster instead expressed respect for the president. The interview, conducted in the heart of Sinaloa—where the cartel dominates with brutal violence—has sparked widespread amusement among Trump supporters, highlighting the unexpected global impact of his leadership.
Yeung met the cartel member in a graffiti-covered safehouse, asking about Trump’s January 2025 executive order designating the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), per whitehouse.gov []. “According to the Trump Administration, you are a terrorist… What do you make of that?” she probed, per CNN []. The member casually replied, “It’s ugly, but we have to eat.” Pressing further, Yeung asked, “What is your message to Donald Trump if he’s watching this?” To her shock, he responded, “My respect. According to him, he’s looking out for his people.”
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The clip quickly went viral, with conservatives on X reveling in the backfire. @MAGAForce2024 wrote, “CNN wanted a Trump bashing, but got a cartel member’s respect instead—priceless!” @PatriotPulse added, “Even Sinaloa Cartel gives Trump props—Yeung didn’t see that coming!” Trump’s policies have slashed illegal crossings by 99% since Biden’s tenure, with got-aways dropping from 1.5 million to 77 daily in April 2025, per CBP [], while the FTO designation has fueled 17,000 cartel arrests in Mexico since January, per Mexico’s National Guard [].
The Sinaloa Cartel, responsible for 70% of U.S. fentanyl trafficking, per DEA 2024 [], has left 2,000 dead in regional conflicts since 2024, per CNN on May 3 []. Against this backdrop, the cartel member’s words underscore Trump’s strongman image, which conservatives like @America1stMAGA celebrate: “The world’s worst fear Trump but respect him—this is leadership!” The viral moment, set in Sinaloa’s dangerous streets, has turned Yeung’s interview into a surprising win for Trump, proving his influence reaches even the unlikeliest corners.
