– ‘Get on message’ –
Other top Republicans came forward to rebuke the businessman, whose campaign has been stuffed with insults against women, Muslims, the disabled, the press and replete with provocative foreign policy proclamations.
The tycoon’s former White House rival Jeb Bush fired back after his attempt at damage control, tweeting: “Donald Trump should retract his comments, not defend them. There is no place for racism in the GOP, or this country.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whom Trump recently boasted of being able to rally round his candidacy, urged him to “get on message” immediately.
“My advice to our nominee would be to start talking about the issues that the American people care about and to start doing it now,” he told reporters.
“In addition to that, it’s time to quit attacking various people that you competed with or various minority groups in the country and get on message.”
Even New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who was the first high-profile Republican to endorse Trump – while denying his “friend” was a racist – suggested he needed to take stock.
“But whether he can learn anything or not, only time will tell about that.”
Christie followed Ryan’s lead in pivoting to attack Clinton – accusing her of acting unjustifiably “high and mighty” towards her Republican rival.
“Do I believe that Hillary Clinton is the answer? No, I do not,” Ryan said.
“I believe that we have more common ground on the policy issues of the day, and we have more likelihood of getting our policies enacted with him than we do with her,” the speaker said of Trump.
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