- The Washington Times - Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Rep. Filemon Vela, Texas Democrat, lashed out Monday at Donald Trump after the presumptive Republican presidential nominee ignited a firestorm over his remarks regarding District Judge Gonzalo Curiel.

The congressman, a fifth-generation Mexican-American, unloaded on Mr. Trump in an open letter shared with the Texas Tribune early Monday after the billionaire businessman told reporters that Judge Curiel was unfit to rule on a federal lawsuit concerning the now-defunct Trump University on account of his Mexican heritage.

“Mr. Trump, you’re a racist and you can take your border wall and shove it up your [expletive],” wrote the Democrat.

“Before you dismiss me as just another ’Mexican,’ let me point out that my great-great-grandfather came to this country in 1857, well before your own grandfather,” Mr. Vela continued. “His grandchildren (my grandfather and his brothers) all served our country in World War I and World War II. His great-grandson, my father, served in the U.S. Army and, coincidentally, was one of the first ’Mexican’ federal judges ever appointed to the federal bench.”

Mr. Vela acknowledged in his letter that he doesn’t disagree with the presumptive GOP nominee on all accounts, and admitted to favoring Mr. Trump’s policies in regard to veteran care and deporting illegal immigrants convicted of felonies.

Concerning the proposed border wall that’s become central to the Republican’s campaign, however, the congressman had anything but pleasantries for the potential president. 

“While you would build more and bigger walls on the U.S.-Mexico border, I would tear the existing wall to pieces,” Mr. Vela wrote. “Why any modern-thinking person would ever believe that building a wall along the border of a neighboring country, which is both our ally and one of our largest trading partners, is frankly astounding and asinine.”

Mr. Vela explained during a subsequent interview Monday on MSNBC that he’d prefer a “much more diplomatic fashion, but I felt like I had to speak to Donald Trump in language he understands.” 

For his part, Mr. Trump said Tuesday his remarks had been “misconstrued” in the press and clarified his comments in a statement, writing: “I do not feel that one’s heritage makes them incapable of being impartial, but, based on the rulings that I have received in the Trump University civil case, I feel justified in questioning whether I am receiving a fair trial.”

• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.

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