U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents a large portion of San Antonio, published a list of 44 San Antonio residents on Tuesday afternoon in an attempt to shame them and drive away customers from their businesses. Their crime? Donating to the Trump presidential campaign.
“Sad to see so many San Antonians as 2019 maximum donors to Donald Trump — the owner of @BillMillerBarBQ, owner of the @HistoricPearl, realtor Phyllis Browning, etc,” Castro wrote. “Their contributions are fueling a campaign of hate that labels Hispanic immigrants as ‘invaders.’”
Joaquin Castro is the twin brother of Julián Castro, the former Obama HUD secretary and San Antonio mayor who is also a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. Joaquin serves as chairman of his brother’s presidential campaign, which is currently polling at 1.6 percent in the Texas Democratic primary, according to Emerson.
David Rutz of the Washington Free Beacon observes that Joaquin Castro’s “sad to see” comment is a step away from saying it’d “be a shame if something bad happened to your business.’” Other politicians, such as Donald Trump himself, have been known to target big businesses, such as Jeff Bezos’s Amazon and the NFL. Castro’s targeting the owners of small businesses and even some retirees seems particularly off-putting.