The current secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign against President Donald Trump in 2016, but is a former HUD secretary making plans to run against Trump in 2020?
It appears so.
According to the Houston Chronicle, former HUD Secretary Julián Castro is seriously considering running for president in 2020.
From the Houston Chronicle:
“I might,” Castro told more than 350 people at a political conference near the University of Texas on Sunday morning.
Castro, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama, said the country needs a very different president than what is in office now and he will spend 2018 weighing a bid.
Castro was viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party when the Obama administration chose him in June 2014 to replace outgoing HUD secretary Shaun Donovan, who went on to serve as the director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Castro came to HUD from San Antonio, where he served as mayor. Castro was the second San Antonio mayor to lead HUD, following the path laid out by Henry Cisneros, who served as President Clinton’s HUD secretary.
Castro’s term at ended in January, and he was replaced by current HUD Secretary Ben Carson.
But Castro’s political career didn’t end there; far from it, in fact.
Castro was rumored to be on the short list to serve as a potential nominee for vice president under former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, but the position eventually went to Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia.
While at HUD, Castro somewhat toned down the political rhetoric, although he did run afoul of federal election laws for discussing Clinton during an 2016 interview.
But since leaving the government, Castro has been outspoken about his issues with the Trump administration.
Earlier this year, Castro discussed the Trump administration’s budget proposal with HousingWire, telling our magazine editor, Sarah Wheeler, that the budget’s proposed cuts to HUD funding were dangerous.
“There’s no vision here,” Castro said in March. “It’s almost like a cartoon cutout of an ideologue’s conception of the budget: just spend more money on defense and tear apart social programs. It’s very short-sighted on housing, education, health.”
And speaking at the UT-Austin event, Castro’s feelings about the Trump administration were even stronger.
Again from the Houston Chronicle:
(Castro) said the country needs someone “fundamentally honest” in the White House.
“We’ve had too much lying out of the White House,” Castro said.
“This administration is a disaster on so many issues,” Castro said. “This just is not working. He's completely in over his head.”
