GOP officials and donors are increasingly concerned about Donald Trump’s attacks on a judge’s Mexican heritage, fearing that his remarks may jeopardize the party’s chances in November and alienate Latino voters.
Trump has repeatedly accused U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel of being biased because of his Mexican heritage. The judge is overseeing a lawsuit against Trump University. The GOP’s worries intensified over the weekend after Trump said he would have the same concerns if the judge were Muslim.
Senate and House GOP leaders have criticized Trump’s remarks about the judge, but donors are concerned that alienating Latino voters may cost the party victories in important down-ballot races.
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich voiced his own concerns, urging Trump to change his confrontational style before it’s too late.
Rick Wilson, Veteran Republican strategist, said GOP leaders who have united behind Trump “own his politics.”
“You own every crazy, vile chunk of word vomit that spews from his mouth,” Wilson said.
Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, is also worried about alienating Latino voters, citing that only 70% of the voting population is white and Latino Americans are “soon to be the largest minority group in the country.”
McConnell says he hopes Trump will change his direction, but the presumptive GOP nominee took it one step further in an interview on Sunday, stating that he would have the same concerns over a Muslim judge. Trump has proposed the idea of banning Muslims from entering the U.S.
