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Donald Trump Belittles Staff in Flap Over Judge Comments Donald Trump Belittles Staff in Flap Over Judge Comments, Report Says
(35 minutes later)
Donald J. Trump told supporters on a conference call on Monday that they should scrap a campaign memo instructing them not to publicly discuss the Trump University case and said that “not so smart” people are doling out advice in his campaign, according to a published report.Donald J. Trump told supporters on a conference call on Monday that they should scrap a campaign memo instructing them not to publicly discuss the Trump University case and said that “not so smart” people are doling out advice in his campaign, according to a published report.
Instead, Mr. Trump said, his supporters should keep up the claims of bias against the federal judge in the case, Gonzalo P. Curiel, and accuse reporters of being “racists” for asking questions about the candidate’s criticism, according to the report, published Monday afternoon by Bloomberg. Instead, Mr. Trump said, his supporters should keep up the claims of bias against the federal judge in the case, Gonzalo P. Curiel, and accuse reporters of being “racists” for asking questions about the candidate’s criticism, according to the report, published Monday afternoon on the Bloomberg website.
It was a breathtaking display of Mr. Trump’s belittlement of his own team on a call with former governors and senators, as well as others supporting his candidacy. The report was confirmed independently by two people who were on the call.It was a breathtaking display of Mr. Trump’s belittlement of his own team on a call with former governors and senators, as well as others supporting his candidacy. The report was confirmed independently by two people who were on the call.
Jan Brewer, the former governor of Arizona, confirmed that she was on a call to discuss a memo that had been sent by the campaign. That memo, disseminated by Erica Freeman, who handles surrogate matters for the campaign, advised allies not to address the lawsuit anymore with reporters, and to let it play out in court. Mr. Trump has been roundly criticized by Republicans, including his own supporters, for the remarks suggesting that the Indiana-born Mr. Curiel is a “Mexican” who is negatively predisposed against the presumptive Republican nominee and should not be presiding over the case. Jan Brewer, the former governor of Arizona, confirmed that she was on a call to discuss a memo that had been sent by the campaign. That memo, disseminated by Erica Freeman, who handles surrogate matters for the campaign, advised allies not to address the lawsuit anymore with reporters, and to let it play out in court. Mr. Trump has been roundly criticized by Republicans, including his own supporters, for the remarks suggesting that the Indiana-born Judge Curiel is a “Mexican” who is negatively predisposed against the presumptive Republican nominee and should not be presiding over the case.
But Ms. Brewer said, “Those harsh comments, i don’t recall them being that harsh.” But, referring to remarks Mr. Trump made about his staff, Ms. Brewer said, “Those harsh comments, I don’t recall them being that harsh.”
According to Bloomberg, however, Mr. Trump was blunt about the memo: “Take that order and throw it the hell out,” he said, after Ms. Brewer interjected that it was sent by his own team. He professed not to know Ms. Freeman and continued on.According to Bloomberg, however, Mr. Trump was blunt about the memo: “Take that order and throw it the hell out,” he said, after Ms. Brewer interjected that it was sent by his own team. He professed not to know Ms. Freeman and continued on.
“Are there any other stupid letters that were sent to you folks?” Mr. Trump said. “That’s one of the reasons I want to have this call, because you guys are getting sometimes stupid information from people that aren’t so smart.”“Are there any other stupid letters that were sent to you folks?” Mr. Trump said. “That’s one of the reasons I want to have this call, because you guys are getting sometimes stupid information from people that aren’t so smart.”
Later, he added that his allies should mount a frontal attack against reporters questioning him for his criticism of Mr. Curiel. Later, he added that his allies should mount a frontal attack against reporters questioning him for his criticism of Judge Curiel.
“The people asking the questions—those are the racists,” Mr. Trump said, according to the Bloomberg report. “I would go at ‘em.” “The people asking the questions — those are the racists,” Mr. Trump said, according to the Bloomberg report. “I would go at ’em.”
John Jay LaValle, a Trump delegate and the Suffolk County Republican chairman on Long Island, insisted that Mr. Trump’s words were being “twisted” and hyped.
“All surrogates received a memo not to discuss Trump University until Mr. Trump briefed us this morning,” Mr. LaValle said of the memo that went out on Sunday night. “He briefed us as to what his position is, his actual position is, on facts and figures.”
In Mr. LaValle’s memory, Mr. Trump merely wanted people to respond to questions from the news media. “Never was anyone asked to attack the media, in any way, shape or form, not that I heard,” he added. “I am startled that it was misreported the way it was reported,” he said.