On Sunday, ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today hyped President Obama’s selection of Julian Castro, Democratic Mayor of San Antonio, to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Both NBC’s Jenna Wolfe and ABC’s Ron Claiborne beamed at how Castro is a “rising star in the Democratic Party” with Wolfe praising how “there’s been speculation that he could be vice presidential pick in 2016.”
While the ABC and NBC reports were short news briefs, both cheered on the potential political career of Castro. ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, host of This Week and Good Morning America, went one step further, using Castro’s potential appointment as an opportunity to take a swipe at the Republican Party.
Speaking with ABC’s Bianna Golodryga to preview his This Week program, Stephanopoulos remarked:
Second time he’s been asked by President Obama to join the cabinet. He turned down the chance to be Transportation Secretary. Apparently he decided it would be a good idea now. Very good chance he would be, especially if Hillary Clinton got the nomination, on the short list for vice president. No question about it now. It’s hard for Democrats to win Texas but to have a Hispanic on the ticket in 2016 when the Republican Party and all there troubles over immigration have had trouble with Hispanics. Could be quite powerful.
See relevant transcripts below.
NBC's Today
May 18, 2014
8:13 a.m. Eastern
JENNA WOLFE: President Obama has tapped San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as the next member of his cabinet. Castro is currently being vetted to take over as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Castro is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party and there’s been speculation that he could be vice presidential pick in 2016.
ABC's Good Morning America
May 18, 2014
8:08 a.m. Eastern
RON CLAIBORNE: And a cabinet shakeup in the Obama Administration. The president will tap San Antonio’s Mayor Julian Castro to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He would replace Shaun Donovan who will be nominated to be budget director. Castro is a three-term mayor of San Antonio, who delivered the keynote address at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and is believed to be a rising star in the Democratic Party.
8:15
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: And yet there’s so much speculation about fresh faces. What is your take on Julian Castro joining the administration? Is he the one to watch for 2016?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Second time he’s been asked by President Obama to join the cabinet. He turned down the chance to be Transportation Secretary. Apparently he decided it would be a good idea now. Very good chance he would be, especially if Hillary Clinton got the nomination, on the short list for vice president. No question about it now. It’s hard for Democrats to win Texas but to have a Hispanic on the ticket in 2016 when the Republican Party and all there troubles over immigration have had trouble with Hispanics. Could be quite powerful.
GOLODRYGA: And he is from Texas and he would be 42, very young at the time.
— Jeffrey Meyer is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Jeffrey Meyer on Twitter. [1]