Steve Scalise Torches Dem Rep. Joaquin Castro for Doxing Trump Supporters: 'Lives Are at Stake'
Texas Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro is refusing to back down after taking criticism for doxing supporters of President Donald Trump.
Among his harshest critics is a Republican colleague who knows a thing or two about being the target of political violence: House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana.
A bit of background: The official re-election campaign Twitter account for Castro, who represents much of the San Antonio area, posted the specific businesses, professions and Twitter handles of people who allegedly donated the maximum allowable support to Trump.
Castro’s tweet is below, though the information about specific Trump supporters has been blacked out:
“Sad to see so many San Antonians as 2019 maximum donors to Donald Trump,” the caption read. “Their contributions are fueling a campaign of hate that labels Hispanic immigrants as ‘invaders.’”
It was a sickening tweet, of course, as Castro was essentially doxing Americans who chose to be part of the democratic process.
And Scalise, who was shot and seriously injured by a crazed supporter of democratic socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders while practicing for the congressional baseball game in 2017, wasn’t going to let it go.
“People should not be personally targeted for their political views. Period. This isn’t a game,” Scalise wrote.
And then the kicker: “It’s dangerous, and lives are at stake. I know this firsthand.”
People should not be personally targeted for their political views. Period. This isn’t a game. It’s dangerous, and lives are at stake. I know this firsthand. https://t.co/PbxUMIOhae
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) August 6, 2019
In a follow-up tweet, Scalise made an insightful point about how Americans “need to stop seeing our neighbors as political enemies.”
If the events of this past weekend taught us anything, it’s that we need to stop seeing our neighbors as political enemies. This kind of dangerous targeting isn’t how we heal our nation.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) August 6, 2019
“This kind of dangerous targeting isn’t how we heal our nation,” he added.
Castro was also criticized by Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, conservative commentator Dana Loesch, author Kimberley Strassel and Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, among many others.
But Scalise’s response might resonate the most.
The Louisiana congressman has been the victim of political violence before. When he says that “lives are at stake,” he’s speaking from experience. What if someone sees Castro’s tweet and decides to target one of those Trump supporters? Castro would then bear some responsibility.
Still, the Texas Democrat has defended his sickening post.
“When you make a political contribution, especially to a federal candidate, that’s a public record,” Castro said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” as Talking Points Memo noted. “And so that graphic lists people’s names and many of them are business owners so they actually own those companies.
“These are prominent donors, most of them public figures or many of them public figures. But their money is being taken and used to fuel these hateful ads and it has put millions of people in this country in fear.”
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