Politics

Joaquin Castro Outed One Of His Own Donors In Effort To Damage Trump

William Davis Contributor
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Democratic Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro published the name and business of one of his donors, in an effort to shame President Donald Trump and his supporters.

Castro caused a firestorm Tuesday when he tweeted out the names of Trump donors and their employers in San Antonio, claiming that the donors were “fueling a campaign of hate” by supporting the president. (RELATED: Donald Trump Condemns White Supremacy After Mass Shootings In El Paso, Texas, And Dayton, Ohio)

“I was also on a list of people that gave to Castro and if he dislikes me enough that he wants to put my name out there against Trump, I’m not going to give money to him,” Wayne Harwell told Fox News. “Obviously Castro feels pretty strongly against me.”

Harwell owns a real estate company in San Antonio, according to Fox News, and donated $1,000 to Castro’s congressional campaign in 2011. (RELATED: Trump, O’Rourke Trade Barbs On Twitter)

He added that while he’s “pretty independent,” he does consider himself a Trump supporter.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) speaks during a news conference about the resolution he has sponsored to terminate President Donald Trump's emergency declaration February 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) speaks during a news conference about the resolution he has sponsored to terminate President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration February 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Castro has doubled down on his decision to post the list, saying he “didn’t create the graphic,” and pointing out that the donations were already public as a result of FEC rules.

Still, some pundits and politicians have criticized Castro’s actions, saying it could lead to violence in an increasingly tense political environment.

One of those critics was House Minority Leader Steve Scalise, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017, and warned Castro Tuesday that “lives are at stake.”

“People should not be personally targeted for their political views. Period,” Scalise said. “This isn’t a game. It’s dangerous, and lives are at stake. I know this firsthand.”