Trump surrogate calls Ryan racist [View all]

[AntiBank]

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/282468-trump-surrogate-calls-ryan-racist

A Donald Trump surrogate on Tuesday called Speaker Paul Ryan a racist, after the Wisconsin Republican criticized the presumptive GOP presidential nominee's comments about a federal judge’s ethnicity. “Speaker Ryan is wrong, and Speaker Ryan has apparently switched positions and is now supporting identity politics, which is racist,” Jeffrey Lord told CNN. Earlier on Tuesday, Ryan called Trump’s comments regarding Judge Gonzalo Curiel racist.

"I regret these comments that he made," the Wisconsin Republican said. "Saying a person can't do their job because of their race is sort of the textbook definition of racist comments. ... I think that should be absolutely disavowed." Trump reportedly instructed his surrogates on Monday to attack those who criticize his comments about Curiel, saying that those who bring up the issue are racists.

"The people asking the questions — those are the racists," Trump said in a conference call. "I would go at 'em." Curiel is presiding over several lawsuits against Trump University alleging it defrauded students and left them with crushing debt. Trump said Curiel had a conflict of interest because he is of Mexican descent, and Trump wants to build a wall along the U.S.'s border with Mexico.