Donald Trump said Tuesday that his attack on a federal judge is being “misconstrued,” insisting it’s not an attack on all Mexicans, as he sought to tamp down on the first major crisis of his post-primary campaign.
The billionaire businessman also offered up his Mexicans and Hispanic friends and employees as evidence he’s not intending to disparage all Latinos with his attack on the judge.
Mr. Trump said judges should be impartial but the rulings he’s seen from Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who’s overseeing cases against the GOP presidential candidate’s Trump University, call into question whether Mr. Trump is getting a fair trial.
And Mr. Trump said the press has likewise been distorting the facts of the case, adding to the unfair treatment.
“Normally, legal issues in a civil case would be heard in a neutral environment. However, given my unique circumstances as nominee of the Republican Party and the core issues of my campaign that focus on illegal immigration, jobs and unfair trade, I have concerns as to my ability to receive a fair trial,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump has questioned whether Judge Curiel’s Mexican heritage makes him biased in the case.
Democrats and some Republicans say Mr. Trump has crossed the line into racism by questioning the judge’s capabilities based on his ethnic background.
“The road to some of the darkest moments of history have been paved with the rants of petty demagogues against ethnic minorities for centuries,” Sen. Robert Menendez said in a floor speech Tuesday.
The New Jersey Democrat said Republicans need to do more than distance themselves from Mr. Trump’s comments — they need to renounce him as a danger to the country.
Mr. Trump said in a statement Tuesday that he’s only raising issues, not drawing conclusions.
“Due to what I believe are unfair and mistaken rulings in this case and the judge’s reported associations with certain professional organizations, questions were raised regarding the Obama appointed judge’s impartiality. It is a fair question. I hope it is not the case,” he said.
He also said this is the last time he’ll comment on the Trump University controversy — a pledge he’ll likely have a tough time keeping. The case is now slated for trial in November, meaning it will hang over the rest of the campaign.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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