Donald Trump To Surrogates: Keep Up Dog Whistles On Judge (WITH VIDEO)

Donald Trump signing the GOP loyalty pledge (image courtesy Michael Vadon, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA license)
Donald Trump signing the GOP loyalty pledge (image courtesy Michael Vadon, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA license)

We knew that if Donald Trump succeeded in his bid to buy the Republican nomination, it would be only a matter of time before his campaign imploded. That moment may be at hand sooner than anyone could have hoped. On Monday, the Donald ordered his surrogates to echo his borderline racist attacks on the the judge overseeing the Trump University case–even after his own campaign suggested backing off.

Bloomberg News learned that Trump gave these marching orders on a conference call with a number of his surrogates on Monday morning. Watch here.

According to two supporters who were in on the call, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer told Trump that she’d gotten an email from the campaign directing them to back off the attacks on federal judge Gonzalo Curiel and his Mexican ancestry. That same email also ordered them to stop talking about the lawsuit altogether.

Trump hit the ceiling. He told his surrogates to “take that order and throw it the hell out.” He then demanded to know if Brewer and the others on the call–including former Senator Scott Brown and Florida attorney general Pam Bondi–had gotten any more “stupid letters” from his staff.

Never mind that the email was sent by Erica Freeman, the main liaison between the campaign and the surrogates. Never mind that it was cc’d to several of the highest-ranking staffers on the Trump campaign, including campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and national campaign chairman Paul Manafort. If Trump wants his surrogates to keep blowing dog whistles by saying that Curiel is not fit to oversee the case because he’s a Mexican, so be it. Brewer essentially threw up her hands, telling Trump to “get on the page.”

Over the last 48 hours, the criticism has come in fast and hard from both sides of the aisle. In a blistering wave of speeches and interviews, Democrats blasted Trump’s attacks on Curiel as racist garbage, and let it be known that their Republican counterparts have a choice to make–stand behind their presumptive nominee’s comments or denounce them.

For instance, New York City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito denounced the attacks as “the definition of racism” and “not normal for anyone.” Hillary Clinton mused that the next thing we know, Trump might say that “a woman judge can’t preside” over the case.

Trump also faces criticism from his own party. House Speaker Paul Ryan, for instance, called the attacks “the textbook definition of a racist comment,” though for the moment he isn’t pulling back on his endorsement. Along similar lines, Marco Rubio, Susan Collins, and Kelly Ayotte also denounced the attacks on Curiel, but still intend to support Trump for now.

However, at least two Republicans have taken off the orange blinders. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, for instance, denounced the remarks as “the most un-American thing from a politician since Joe McCarthy,” and said it should be “an off-ramp” for anyone having second thoughts about backing Trump. At least one of his Senate colleagues took that advice. Mark Kirk of Illinois called Trump’s remarks “dead wrong” and “un-American,” and for that reason he “cannot and will not” support him.

Tellingly, not one Republican has risen up to defend Trump. It initially looked like Richard Shelby of Alabama had risen to that lure.

But through a spokeswoman, Shelby says that he never meant his remarks to be seen as a defense of Trump, but that he was saying a judge’s race should be “irrelevant.”

Trump tried to unring the bell on Monday afternoon, saying that he was only questioning whether Curiel could give him a fair trial. He added that he “(does) not feel that one’s heritage makes them incapable of being impartial.” Um, Donald? Earlier in the day you just said that you wanted your surrogates to keep it up. Which is it?

In wave elections, some seats and races are more or less given away. That may be what we’re witnessing here. Trump is essentially giving away the Hispanic vote with his ugly attacks on Curiel. Mark it down, folks–this may mark the time that Trump more or less gave away the presidency.

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.