Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro announced his own 2020 campaign earlier this month. | Alex Wong/Getty Images 2020 Elections Castro: Ex-Starbucks CEO’s independent 2020 bid would be Trump’s ‘best hope’

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro on Sunday threw cold water on the idea that former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz should run for the White House as an independent, saying such a decision would boost Donald Trump's reelection chances.

"I have a concern that, if he did run, that, essentially, it would provide Donald Trump with his best hope of getting reelected," Castro told CNN‘s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.” "I don't think that that would be in the best interest of our country."


Castro, who announced his own 2020 campaign on Jan. 12, said Trump's recent poor showing in polls illustrates that in his view that if things remain the same, the only way Trump holds on to the White House is if someone siphons off enough Democratic votes.

Schultz has not disclosed a decision on a 2020 run, but the Atlantic reported Saturday that the coffee mogul is considering a campaign and would make clear during a "60 Minutes" interview airing Sunday night that he would run as an independent.

America does not have a two-party system by law, but over the years, particularly through ballot access requirements, the two major political parties have made credible independent campaigns for the White House a tall order.

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In recent decades, those long odds did not dissuade the likes of billionaire Ross Perot or consumer advocate Ralph Nader, but neither came close to winning. Perot lost most notably in 1992 when he drew 19 percent of the vote and Nader lost most notably in 2000, when he was a factor in several key states. Both Perot and Nader have been dogged by the same claims Castro is now leveraging against Schultz: A third-party run only serves as a potential spoiler and, in an era of close presidential elections, could make the difference.

"We need new leadership," Castro said. "And so, you know, I would suggest to Mr. Schultz to truly think about the negative impact that that might make.”