Paul Ryan calls Trump judge comments the 'textbook definition of racism'

Paul Ryan.
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday addressed Donald Trump's controversial comments regarding Mexican-American judge Gonzalo Curiel, calling them the "textbook definition of racism" and "absolutely unacceptable." Last week, Trump called for Curiel to recuse himself from a lawsuit against Trump University due to his Mexican heritage, saying Curiel could not fairly rule against him due to his plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"I disavow those comments," Ryan said. "I don't think they're right-headed, and the thinking behind [them] is something I don't even personally relate to." Ryan said last week he would vote for Trump, and echoed that message Tuesday, saying that while he disagreed strongly with Trump's comments on Curiel, he did not think Hillary Clinton was the way to "solve these problems."

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Kimberly Alters

Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.