Finally Tapper moves on to ask about Trump University, which the businessman says has had “thousands and thousands of people have said great reviews, great reviews.”
“It’s gotten tremendous marks. I don’t mean, like, two people, I mean thousands.”
Tapper asks about Trump’s accusation of bias by the federal judge overseeing the lawsuit against the enterprise, which alleges it defrauded people of tens of thousands of dollars.
“This judge is of Mexican heritage,” Trump says. “I‘m building a wall, I’m building a wall.
The judge, Gonzalo Curiel, was born in Indiana and is an American.
“He’s a member of a society that’s very pro-Mexico and that’s fine, that’s fine,” he continues. “I think he should recuse himself.”
He then starts a new conspiracy: “Does he know the lawyer on the other side? And a lot of people say yes, and I don’t know, and that’s a problem.”
Trump repeats himself over and over again. “I’m building a wall, OK? … He’s of Mexican heritage, and he’s very proud of it, and that’s fine, as I am.”
Tapper interrupts, repeatedly: “But he’s an American …”
“It’s a case that should’ve been dismissed already,” Trump says. “He lets the plaintiff off the case out.” The case is a class action suit, so the removal of a lead plaintiff is not that unusual.
Trump continues: “I’ve had lawyer s come up to me and say you are being treated so unfairly, it’s unbelievable … If he was giving me fair rulings I wouldn’t be talking to you this way.”
Trump’s lawyers have not asked the judge to recuse himself. Appellate courts
have repeatedly held that “matters such as race or ethnicity are improper bases for challenging a judge’s impartiality”, the second circuit ruled in 1998.
Tapper points out that Paul Ryan and
Hillary Clinton have lambasted Trump for the remarks.
“Paul Ryan doesn’t know the case,” Trump says. “Hillary Clinton is a stiff.”
Then he spins yet another conspiracy theory, saying that “these people” have approached attorney generals around the nation trying to induce them to sue – the lawsuit began before the presidential campaigns.
“We’re building a wall. He’s a Mexican. We’re building a wall between here and Mexico.”
The judge is from Indiana. He is an American.