Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) put his brother Julián in a tough spot after he published a list of San Antonians who had donated to President Trump's campaign. It was what's come to be known as "doxxing" in the political world. Ironically, some of the people on the list had once supported Castro's campaign as well. Critics shamed Castro for exposing the individuals and leaving them open for harassment.
Asked to condemn his brother's actions, Julián, currently running as a Democratic candidate for president, chose to defend him instead. His brother's list was already "public information," Castro said on the campaign trail on Friday. The Republican National Committee called that answer "pathetic."
Absolutely pathetic.
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) August 9, 2019
Julián Castro refuses to condemn brother’s tweet targeting Trump donors. pic.twitter.com/Fv6xvXWNcU
"It's not okay for people to harass other people, and nobody said it was," Castro said in a rather hostile fashion to the reporter who asked him.
He proceeded to explain.
"My brother put out a list of names of people who had maxed out to the Trump campaign," he said. "That is public information. That kind of information is put out all the time. And for anybody to pretend or suggest that it's not, is not true."
Castro pointed out that his brother did not reveal the donors' addresses or phone numbers.
"What he did is not doxxing," he said.
It's "the right wing," he corrected them, "who wants to make this a story."
The former HUD secretary said the real story is how it seems as though Trump wants to keep his donors secret.
In the clip you can hear a reporter repeatedly ask him, "Do you know that they're donating to you too?"
He did not respond.