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Could a Muslim Judge Be Neutral to Donald Trump? He Doesn’t Think So Could a Muslim Judge Be Neutral to Donald Trump? He Doesn’t Think So
(about 3 hours later)
Donald J. Trump said Sunday that a Muslim judge might have trouble remaining neutral in a lawsuit against him, extending his race-based criticism of the jurist overseeing the case to include religion and opening another path for Democrats who have criticized him sharply for his remarks. Donald J. Trump, who said last week that a judge’s Mexican heritage should disqualify him from a lawsuit against Mr. Trump, expressed doubt on Sunday that a Muslim judge could remain neutral in the case, comments that are unlikely to ease concerns among his fellow Republicans who fear his controversial remarks could hurt the party in November.
The comments, in an interview with John Dickerson, the host of CBS’s “Face the Nation,” come amid growing disapproval from fellow Republicans over his attacks on Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, a federal judge in California overseeing a suit against the defunct Trump University, whose impartiality Mr. Trump questioned based on the judge’s Mexican heritage. Mr. Trump’s comments, made in an interview with John Dickerson, the host of CBS’s “Face the Nation,” followed his criticism of Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, a federal judge in California overseeing a suit against the defunct Trump University. Mr. Trump said Judge Curiel had a “conflict of interest” in the case because of Mr. Trump’s proposed border wall with Mexico.
And they came as Republicans, concerned about how his remarks could harm their ability to retain control of the United States Senate and have a detrimental effect in races further down the ballot, continue to grapple with how to distance themselves from Mr. Trump’s rhetoric without alienating his die-hard voters. Republicans, concerned about how his contentious statements could harm their ability to retain control of the Senate and have a detrimental effect in down-ballot races, have struggled with how to distance themselves from Mr. Trump’s language without alienating his die-hard voters.
Mr. Trump has called Judge Curiel, who was born in Indiana to Mexican immigrants, a “Mexican” and said he has a “conflict of interest” in the case because of Mr. Trump’s proposed border wall with Mexico. The case that Judge Curiel is overseeing is a class-action suit in which students of the for-profit operation say they were defrauded. In a series of interviews on Sunday television news shows, Republicans repudiated Mr. Trump’s comments about Judge Curiel. But instead of softening his stance, Mr. Trump intensified it.
Mr. Dickerson asked Mr. Trump if, in his view, a Muslim judge would be similarly biased because of the Republican presumptive nominee’s call for a ban on Muslim immigrants. “It’s possible, yes,” Mr. Trump said. “Yeah. That would be possible. Absolutely.” Mr. Dickerson asked Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, if a Muslim judge would be similarly biased because of Mr. Trump’s call for a ban on Muslim immigrants. “It’s possible, yes,” Mr. Trump said. “Yeah. That would be possible. Absolutely.”
When Mr. Dickerson noted that there is a tradition in the United States, a nation of immigrants, against judging people based on their heritage, Mr. Trump replied: “I’m not talking about tradition. I’m talking about common sense, O.K.?” When Mr. Dickerson said there was a tradition in the United States, a nation of immigrants, against judging people based on heritage, Mr. Trump replied, “I’m not talking about tradition, I’m talking about common sense, O.K.?”
At a recent rally in San Diego, where the suit is being heard, Mr. Trump engaged in a minutes-long attack on Judge Curiel over the suit, which cuts at the heart of the candidate’s appeal to voters as a successful businessman. In his interview with Mr. Dickerson, and in a separate discussion with Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Mr. Trump refused to retreat from his comments on Judge Curiel’s background.
With Mr. Dickerson and, in a separate interview, with Jake Tapper of CNN’s “State of the Union,” Mr. Trump repeated not only the criticisms of Judge Curiel, but he intensified them.
“He is a member of a club or society, very strongly pro-Mexican, which is all fine,” Mr. Trump said. “But I say he’s got bias. I want to build a wall. I’m going to build a wall. I’m doing very well with the Latinos, with the Hispanics, with the Mexicans, I’m doing very well with them, in my opinion.”“He is a member of a club or society, very strongly pro-Mexican, which is all fine,” Mr. Trump said. “But I say he’s got bias. I want to build a wall. I’m going to build a wall. I’m doing very well with the Latinos, with the Hispanics, with the Mexicans, I’m doing very well with them, in my opinion.”
The candidate’s broadside against Judge Curiel was one of the most overtly racial remarks he has made in the presidential race, and it has been roundly criticized by prominent Republicans. It also came after Mr. Trump delivered a stinging rebuke to Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico, the head of the Republican Governors Association and a star within her party, after she declined to appear with him at an event in her state. Judge Curiel, 62, was born in East Chicago, Ind., to parents who had emigrated from Mexico. He graduated from Indiana University’s law school and worked as an assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of California before being appointed in 2007 to the bench in San Diego by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican. President Obama nominated Judge Curiel to the federal bench in late 2011, and he was confirmed by the Senate in 2012.
The remarks exacerbated the tension that Republicans face in embracing their nominee. White, older, working-class voters comprise a large chunk of the party’s base, and Republicans need to keep the presidential campaign close in order to hold their Senate majority. But Mr. Trump has offended wide swaths of voters to whom the party must appeal amid shifts in national demographics. Mr. Trump’s broadside against Judge Curiel was one of the most overtly racial remarks he had made in the presidential race, and it exacerbated the tension between some Republicans and their nominee. White, older, working-class voters make up a large portion of the party’s base, and Republicans need to keep the presidential campaign close in order to hold their majority in the Senate. But Mr. Trump’s remarks have offended wide blocs of voters to whom the party must appeal amid national demographic shifts.
The result has left Republicans to mitigate the damage by rejecting Mr. Trump’s language in one moment, but embracing his candidacy the next. An example last week was Speaker Paul D. Ryan, who endorsed Mr. Trump with lukewarm praise after declining to back him when he became the presumptive nominee. A day later, Mr. Ryan was forced to respond to Mr. Trump’s condemnation of Judge Curiel’s impartiality; Mr. Ryan rejected Mr. Trump’s comments. And the critiques have raised concerns about how, as president, Mr. Trump would handle the separation of powers between the executive and judicial branches of government. That issue is sacred to conservatives, who have railed against what they see as an abuse of power by Mr. Obama.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, did not directly answer a question about whether the remark was racist, but said he completely disagreed with it. “All of us came here from somewhere else,” Mr. McConnell said in reference to Judge Curiel’s heritage. “That’s an important part of what makes America work.” Republicans have tried to mitigate the potential damage of Mr. Trump’s language by rejecting it in one moment, but embracing his candidacy in the next.
Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, a Republican who had been floated as a potential vice-presidential nominee alongside Mr. Trump, said on ABC News’ “This Week” of Mr. Trump’s behavior, “I think that he’s going to have to change.” And Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker who has been among Mr. Trump’s most vocal supporters, called the remarks “inexcusable” on “Fox News Sunday.” On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, did not directly answer a question about whether Mr. Trump’s remark had been racist, but said he completely disagreed with it. “All of us came here from somewhere else,” Mr. McConnell said, referring to Judge Curiel’s heritage. “That’s an important part of what makes America work.”
Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, a Republican whose name had been floated as a potential vice-presidential nominee, said on ABC’s “This Week” of Mr. Trump’s behavior, “I think that he’s going to have to change.” And Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, who has been among Mr. Trump’s most vocal supporters, called the Curiel remarks “inexcusable” on “Fox News Sunday.”
“This is one of the worst mistakes Trump has made,” said Mr. Gingrich, who has also been mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate.“This is one of the worst mistakes Trump has made,” said Mr. Gingrich, who has also been mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate.
But none of the three men rejected Mr. Trump’s candidacy outright. Mr. Gingrich praised Mr. Trump moments later as a quick learner. Mr. Corker suggested that Mr. Trump “has an opportunity to really change the trajectory of our country, and it’s my sense that he will take advantage of that.”But none of the three men rejected Mr. Trump’s candidacy outright. Mr. Gingrich praised Mr. Trump moments later as a quick learner. Mr. Corker suggested that Mr. Trump “has an opportunity to really change the trajectory of our country, and it’s my sense that he will take advantage of that.”
In the weeks since he vanquished his remaining two primary opponents, Mr. Trump has repeatedly turned the campaign’s focus inward — about his businesses, the Trump University lawsuit, his fights with other Republicans — and obscured hopes Republicans had of keeping a spotlight on Hillary Clinton and her email controversy or on a jobs report suggesting a slowing of the economy. Those defenses are becoming more strained as Mr. Trump has reversed his suggestions that he knows he must grow into the role of nominee. And Republicans were mostly silent after Hillary Clinton assailed Mr. Trump in a speech on Thursday about the stakes of the election. Mr. Trump led his defense on Twitter and at a rally, but his campaign and its surrogates had no uniform response.
Mr. McConnell, who quickly endorsed Mr. Trump after he became the presumptive nominee in early May, has been vocal about his concern that the remarks about Hispanics will have historic implications, along the lines of those that Barry Goldwater had on the party’s ability to woo black voters after he declined to support the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the weeks since he vanquished his remaining two primary opponents, Mr. Trump has repeatedly turned his campaign’s focus inward — toward his businesses, the Trump University lawsuit, his fights with other Republicans — and obscured the hopes Republicans had of keeping a spotlight on Mrs. Clinton and her email controversy, or on a jobs report suggesting a slowdown in job creation.
Mr. McConnell argued that the alternative to Mr. Trump — a second Clinton presidency — was worse. But he also urged Mr. Trump to stop focusing on the recent past and look to the future. Mr. McConnell, who endorsed Mr. Trump quickly after Mr. Trump became the presumptive nominee early last month, has been vocal in his concern that the remarks on Hispanics will have a historic effect along the lines of the remarks Barry Goldwater made on the party’s ability to woo black voters after he declined to support the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“This is a good time, it seems to me, to begin to try to unify the party,” Mr. McConnell said. “And you unify the party by not settling scores and grudges against people you’ve been competing with. We’re all behind him now. And I’d like to see him reach out and pull us all together and give us a real shot at winning this November.” Mr. McConnell said the alternative to Mr. Trump — a second Clinton presidency — was worse. But he also urged Mr. Trump to stop focusing on the recent past and to look toward the future.
“This is a good time, it seems to me, to begin to try to unify the party,” Mr. McConnell said.
“And you unify the party by not settling scores and grudges against people you’ve been competing with,” he added. “We’re all behind him now. And I’d like to see him reach out and pull us all together and give us a real shot at winning this November.”