Donald Trump defended his ethnic slurs against a Hispanic judge overseeing the fraud case against Trump University by doubling down today, saying, “I’m very, very strong on the border.” When challenged by Fox host Chris Wallace, Trump blamed Wallace for the slurs out of his own mouth: "You're the one that brings it up."
In case you missed it, during the Thursday night slugfest otherwise known as the CNN Republican debate, Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz each attacked Trump over the three class-action lawsuits, including one filed by New York’s attorney general, alleging fraudulent and deceptive practices by the now-defunct Trump University.
Trump responded by playing the ethnic victim card, saying the California judge has shown “tremendous hostility” and, “He’s Hispanic, which is fine.” By the way, in 2013, Trump blamed President Obama for the New York lawsuit to a sympathetic group of Fox & Friends hosts who helped legitimize his claim.
But now, to his credit (whatever the reason), Wallace confronted Trump for his comments about the Hispanic judge. First, Trump expanded his ethnic smears:
WALLACE: The attorney general of New York after those remarks accused you of racial demagoguery mentioning he’s Hispanic.
TRUMP: I think the judge has been extremely hostile to me. I think it has to do with perhaps the fact that I’m very, very strong on the border. Very, very strong on the border. And he has been extremely hostile to me.
This is a case that in our opinion should have been won a long time ago. It’s a case we should have won on summary judgment. We’re nothing with this. This is a very—we have a very hostile judge.
Now, he is Hispanic, I believe. He is a very hostile judge to me. I said it loud and clear.
But when challenged by Wallace, Trump weaseled by trying to blame him.
WALLACE: Why even bring up that he’s Hispanic? I mean, it does raise a question.
TRUMP: Because you always bring it up, Chris, because you always say how the Hispanics don’t like Donald Trump. You always bring it up in your poll numbers. You say that Hispanics don’t like Donald Trump. You’re the one that brings it up—
…WALLACE: I don’t think I ever brought that up. I don’t think I ever brought it up.
TRUMP: OK, well, you always talk about the fact that Trump doesn’t do well with --
WALLACE: But you can’t blame this one on me.
TRUMP: Chris, will Trump do well with Hispanics?
Now, in Nevada, I got 46 percent. I won with the Hispanics, OK? So, that’s very good.
But I can tell you, it’s a very hostile judge. This is a judge that in my opinion does not like Donald Trump.
(Transcript via FoxNews.com)
How is Donald Trump going to handle ISIS if he can’t handle a lawsuit alleging Trump University defrauded his students?
Watch it below, from the February 28 Fox News Sunday. I’ll have more to say about this interview in a later post.