Julian Castro admits he'd pull troops out of Syria after blasting 'erratic' Trump

Former San Antonio mayor seen as likely 2020 Democratic presidential candidate

After blasting President Trump for his “erratic” decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro admitted Sunday that he would have done the same thing.

The difference is that he would have handled it differently, said Mr. Castro, a potential 2020 Democratic presidential contender.

“I think that many folks recognize that it was time for us to pull out of Syria; however, here’s the thing,” said Mr. Castro on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Once you’re there, you have to make sure that you have a plan for your operations there and also for your withdrawal.”

Mr. Trump came under fire for announcing last week that he would pull U.S. troops from Syria, spurring the resignations of both Defense Secretary James Mattis and presidential special envoy for ISIS Brett McGurk.

Mr. Castro, who served as Housing and Urban Development Secretary under President Barack Obama, said he would announced Jan. 12 on whether he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination.

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