As Twitchy reported, Sen. Mark Kirk on Tuesday took the unprecedented step of un-endorsing Donald Trump. Kirk’s statement came after Trump supporters like Newt Gingrinch and Speaker Paul Ryan criticized Trump for crossing the line, with Ryan deeming Trump’s suggestion that Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel couldn’t be impartial because of his heritage a “textbook definition of a racist comment.”
https://twitter.com/NoahCRothman/status/740272244899913728
Trump statement: "I do not feel that one’s heritage makes them incapable of being impartial…"
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) June 7, 2016
In a rare move, Trump walked back his comments on Tuesday afternoon in a statement.
Trump changes his tune pic.twitter.com/ieJytkudg3
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) June 7, 2016
This is the exact opposite of what you've been saying explicitly and repeatedly for the last week. pic.twitter.com/kF39ZVH8iP
— Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) June 7, 2016
Well, yes. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is his final word on the matter.
https://twitter.com/MichaelRWarren/status/740272869960208384
Cracking up at the Trump statement (clearly written by someone else) declaring he's done discussing this case. That will last about 1 day.
— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) June 7, 2016
I bet it lasts 10 minutes https://t.co/DIsUoenmgI
— Shoshana Weissmann, Sloth Committee Chair ? (@senatorshoshana) June 7, 2016
For a candidate whose appeal to his base lies largely in his status as a non-politician, his statement is pretty standard-issue stuff for a politician feeling the heat — almost like Hillary Clinton apologizing to the press for all the “confusion” over her emails, which aren’t damning at all.
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new Trump statement: "unfortunate that my comments have been misconstrued as categorical attack against people of Mexican heritage." 1/2
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) June 7, 2016
Trump: "I'm friends w/ & employ 1000s of ppl of Mexican/Hispanic descent. I feel justified in questioning if I'm receiving fair trial" 2/2
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) June 7, 2016
https://twitter.com/NoahCRothman/status/740273512124977152
not an apology then. Someone else's fault again.
— John Wisniewski (@WhiskeyMD247365) June 7, 2016
"I'm sorry for my comments" is an apology.
"I'm sorry you misconstrued my comments" is, actually, not an apology.— Binyamin Appelbaum (@BCAppelbaum) June 7, 2016
think we are supposed to apologize now for misconstruing him
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) June 7, 2016
Nothing's been misconstrued, @realDonaldTrump. We all have ears. Our courts have built-in procedures for your grievances.
— Nathaniel Gardner (@tkdcoach) June 7, 2016
What a leightweight chocker. https://t.co/rYAENlP9gy
— BT (@back_ttys) June 7, 2016
https://twitter.com/steven_metz/status/740280026701127680
https://twitter.com/Aaron_RS/status/740274071137452033
Flake says Trump needs to retract judge remark. When asked if Trump appeared to be "walking back" his comments, Flake replied "Keep walking"
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 7, 2016
Flake, when I read him Trump's latest statement and whether it's enough of a walk back, responds: "Keep walkin'"
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) June 7, 2016