If things keep going as they are, the Democratic presidential field will resemble the crowded GOP field in 2016.
Already, a handful of Democrats are champing at the bit to run for president again Donald Trump. In fact, one Democratic representative, John Delaney, has already declared his candidacy.
A slew of others are mulling bids, including failed candidate Bernie Sanders, friend-turned-enemy-of-Bill Clinton Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, angry, women-hater Corey Booker, and even Mark Cuban, a billionaire who has been critical of Trump.
Now we get to add another name to the mix: Julian Castro.
“Who?” you might be asking. Why, it’s Julian Castro, the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama.
Still haven’t heard of him? Well, uh, he was the mayor of San Antonio. And Hillary Clinton considered making him her vice-president running mate in 2016.
Still have no idea who this guy is? You aren’t alone. Which is why Castro is doing a number of events to raise his national profile. From CNBC:
Julián Castro, who was on a short list for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 running mate, is heading to the first primary state of New Hampshire for a speech that could start his path to a 2020 run.
Castro, the former Housing and Urban Development secretary under President Barack Obama and the former mayor of San Antonio, will be the headliner at the New Hampshire Young Democrats 2018 Granite Slate Awards Dinner.
Castro is a fresh face in a party dominated by old white men and women. Compared to Bernie Sanders, he looks more like that annoying straight-A student in high school than your senile grandfather complaining about Wall Street bankers dumping pesticide in the Hudson River.
There’s only one problem: Castro has a questionable past.
In 2016, he blatantly broke the law by violating the Hatch Act when he endorsed Hillary Clinton for president as Secretary of HUD. He, of course, faced no punishment.
Castro is also in hot water with many progressive activists after his agency promoted a housing policy that sold off delinquent mortgages to hedge funds, essentially handing over the mortgages of struggling people to rich, fat cat bankers.
Castro is going to have to answer for all this and more if he decides to run for president.
What do you think? Is Castro a fraud? Tell us your thoughts below and share this story over Facebook now!
