Rep. Joaquin Castro Says Clinton Has Learned From Email 'Mistake,' Urges Politicians to 'Move On'
Castro said this "very painful week" in the U.S. should be a turning point.
— -- Texas congressman and Hillary Clinton supporter Joaquin Castro said Sunday it was time to "move on" from the controversy surrounding presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's use of private email servers while she was secretary of state.
“There’s no perfect politician,” Castro said on ABC’s “This Week.” “Hillary Clinton’s been in public service for many years and done amazing work, but she’s also admitted when she’s made a mistake.”
Castro added that, given the violence in Baton Rouge, Minneapolis and Dallas, it’s time to move past the issue around Clinton's email.
“This very painful week in American history should be a turning point [for] the Congress and for our government, where we start to move on and focus on the issues that matter to Americans,” he said.
The congressman argued that Clinton’s time as senator and secretary of state makes her better equipped to handle the issues of race, gun violence, and policing that have roiled the country this week.
“In every single thing that she’s done during her public service career, she’s [tried to bring the country together],” Castro told ABC’s Martha Raddatz. “She’s somebody who’s seeking very hard to earn the trust of the American people.”
Polls show that a majority of Americans view both Clinton and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump unfavorably – and as untrustworthy.
While Castro was quick to argue Trump is a more divisive figure -- due to comments about Mexicans, women and his proposed ban on Muslims –- he also noted that he was pleased to see some Republicans addressing the killings of two black men by police this past week.
“I was heartened to see somebody like Newt Gingrich acknowledge that if you’re black in this country, or a person of color, you may have a different experience with police,” he said.
There is strong speculation that Castro’s twin brother, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio, is on Clinton’s shortlist for vice president.