GOP Sen. Ayotte: Trump Should Retract Comments About Judge Curiel

U.S. Sen Kelly Ayotte speaks at Thompson Forest to discuss her support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund Tuesday, April 26, 2016, in Durham, N.H. Ayotte is seeking a second term in the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)
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Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) told NBC News Monday that presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump should retract his comments about a federal judge being biased against him because of the judge’s ethnicity.

“His comments are offensive and wrong, and he should retract them,” Ayotte told NBC.

Trump had said that U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is presiding over cases against Trump University in California, has a conflict of interest because of his “Mexican heritage.”

The real estate mogul has made disparaging comments against Mexicans since he launched his campaign last summer with a speech that branded undocumented immigrants as “rapists” and “criminals.” He’s also made building a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico a cornerstone of his campaign.

While she took issue with Trump’s comments on Curiel, Ayotte has said she will support the Republican Party’s nominee for the presidency.

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