Julian Castro, a 2020 candidate for president, suggests that Donald Trump will be prosecuted for a crime, and should that happen under his watch, he would not issue a pardon.
The long-shot Democrat made the statement at a tea cafe in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Castro focused on the investigation of Russian collusion by special counsel Robert Mueller and the southern district of New York investigation into his business dealings.
“I think that the next president is going to … make a decision like this about the president because one of those investigations, whether it’s the Mueller investigation or it’s in the Southern District of New York, is going to present the issue of punishment,” he predicted. “That’s what I believe.”
Will Not Issue a Pardon
Castro’s criminal conspiracy theory sounds like the ramblings of a man who realizes he has no chance of standing out in the 2020 field unless he placates a rabid base that actively dreams of President Trump’s indictment or impeachment.
Castro went on to imply that should Trump be punished for a crime, he would not consider a pardon.
2020 WATCH @JulianCastro -in his 1st trip to NH since declaring his candidacy-says if elected president “I would not be inclined to issue a pardon (to @realDonaldTrump )
because I don’t think that anybody should be above the law.” More at https://t.co/YU9pX12POL #NHPolitics #FITN pic.twitter.com/sXvXuj526w— Paul Steinhauser (@steinhauserNH1) January 16, 2019
“I would not be inclined to issue a pardon, because I don’t think that anybody should be above the law,” he said.
Speaking of people who think they’re above the law – Castro worked as an intern at the White House during Bill Clinton’s presidency and was once seriously considered as a running mate for Hillary Clinton, two people who embody the concept of being above the law.
Not a Serious Contender
Democrats tend to prop Castro up as a serious contender, but he has little chance of emerging from an increasingly crowded field of anti-Trumpers.
He has baggage.
In 2016, he blatantly broke the law by violating the Hatch Act when he endorsed Hillary Clinton for president as Secretary of HUD. He also found himself hot water with progressives 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.
Also in 2016, Bill Clinton asked for Castro to be available as a token Latino for his campaign appearances for wife Hillary. He was so unserious about Castro’s appearances that the famously amorous Clinton wanted him blanketed by “young Latina celeb types.”
Current polling has Castro sitting between 0 and 2 percent in state and national polls.