Dem Rep Publishes Names, Workplaces of San Antonio Trump Donors

Eric Schaffer | August 7, 2019
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Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Tex.), brother and campaign chairman of 2020 Democratic hopeful Julián Castro, tweeted the names and employers of 44 San Antonio citizens who had donated the maximum amount of money to the Trump campaign on Monday in an incident some are calling doxxing.

What makes this different from the usual campaign donation reveal, however, is that the individuals Castro brought to the attention of social media weren’t billionaire political influencers but average Americans and small business owners. 

“Sad to see so many San Antonians as 2019 maximum donors to Donald Trump,” Castro said in the now-infamous tweet. “The owner of ⁦@BillMillerBarBQ, owner of the @HistoricPearl, realtor Phyllis Browning, etc⁩. Their contributions are fueling a campaign of hate that labels Hispanic immigrants as ‘invaders.’”

Naturally, this was met with outrage, with critics questioning what Castro’s motivations were in marketing the -- albeit, public -- information on his account.

“What I hope is that this has started a conversation about what exactly Donald Trump is doing with these people's money," Castro explained in an interview on "Morning Joe." "And I hope donors in San Antonio and donors throughout the country, unless you support the white nationalism and the racism that Donald Trump is paying for and fueling, then I hope that you, as a person of good conscience, will think twice about contributing to his campaign.”

While Castro attempts to put up an innocent image after the immense backlash he has received, there are still many questions to be asked about his motivations. Sadly, the media will likely let what should be a primetime story slip into obscurity.

The Trump campaign on Tuesday called on Castro to "delete & apologize" and for his brother's campaign to disavow."

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