Trump Orders Surrogates to Increase Criticism of Federal Judge and Call Reporters ‘Racists’

Growing Number of Republicans Denounce Trump’s Race-Based Attacks on Judge Hearing Case Against Trump University

A Monday conference call between Donald Trump and supporters led to the Republican candidate for president urging campaign surrogates to double-down his statements regarding U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel. Trump, Bloomberg reports, “ordered them to question the judge’s credibility and impugn reporters as racists.”

Curiel is overseeing cases involving allegations of fraud against Trump University. Trump has repeatedly implied that Curiel’s Mexican heritage was the reason the case has not yet been dismissed. Last week he told CNN’s Jake Tapper, “I’ve been treated very unfairly by this judge. Now, this judge is of Mexican heritage. I’m building a wall.”

Curiel was born in Indiana and he and his parents are American citizens.

During the call Trump attacked a memo sent out by a staffer on his campaign on Sunday to surrogates, which read, “The best possible response is ‘the case will be tried in the courtroom in front of a jury – not in the media.’” Trump turned against this response, telling those on the call to, “Take that order and throw it the hell out.”

He then asked, “Are there any other stupid letters that were sent to you folks?”

Bloomberg notes former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi were on the call.

NEW: Florida AG Pam Bondi Personally Asked Trump for Donation Before Dropping Trump Univ. Fraud Case

Trump also encouraged supporters to criticize journalists who question the campaign about the case and Trump’s public comments about it.

“The people asking the questions – those are the racists.” Trump said. “I would go at ’em.”

 

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 Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license