House Speaker Paul D. Ryan disavowed GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s comments about a Mexican-American judge as the “textbook” definition of racism Tuesday, though he didn’t withdraw his endorsement.
The Wisconsin Republican went to southeast D.C. to tout his anti-poverty plan, yet he was peppered with questions about Mr. Trump’s attacks on U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, who is presiding over a case against one of the mogul’s business ventures, Trump University.
Mr. Trump has questioned whether Judge Curiel, who was born in Indiana, can be fair to him, because he is of Mexican descent. The nominee cited his own support for building a wall along the U.S. southern border to stop the flow of illegal immigration.
“Claiming a person can’t do their job because of their race is sort of like the textbook definition of a racist comment,” Mr. Ryan said. “I think that should be absolutely disavowed, it’s absolutely unacceptable.”
He said he couldn’t defend the comments, but that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton isn’t an OK alternative when it comes to enacting a conservative agenda.
“Do I believe that Hillary Clinton is the answer? No, I do not,” he said.
Democrats have unloaded on Mr. Trump in recent days, calling him a racist and bigot, and they’ve tried to extract a political price from leading Republicans who’ve backed him.
Rep. Steny Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, declined to attack Mr. Ryan personally Tuesday, saying he is hardworking and that it’s up to Republicans to choose their speaker.
However, he said: “Supporting Donald Trump, I think, is antithetical to the values of the country.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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