June 17, 2020

Castro Statement on Bolton Allegations Against President Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and member of the House Intelligence and Education and Labor Committees, today released the following statement after allegations were reported in Ambassador John Bolton’s new book against President Trump: 

“Ambassador John Bolton should have testified before Congress about President Trump’s reprehensible conduct, but instead he sold this information for a book deal. Congress asked him to testify, but he threatened to sue if subpoenaed and turned down the opportunity to provide an affidavit. Bolton’s actions are shameful and unpatriotic.

“Allegations that President Trump greenlit ethnic cleansing by the Chinese government is beyond horrific—this revelation is about the same man who himself separated families and put children in cages.

“Trump has apparently asked Chairman Xi and the Chinese Communist Party for help with his reelection, working to undermine our democracy and subvert the will of the American people. This is the behavior of dictators, not the leader of the free world. 

“The United States has a troubled history of military interventions in Latin America and President Trump’s casual comments about invading Venezuela are as ignorant as they are unacceptable. We should take all these reports seriously.

“Donald Trump always puts himself first, but promoting his personal, political agenda above basic human dignity and our national security is a new level of betrayal. With Republican enablers in the U.S. Senate, Justice and State Departments who have shown more fealty to Trump than to the rule of law and our founding principles, the President feels he can act with impunity. 

“As patriotic Americans, we must work to protect our elections and hold him accountable.” 

# # #