Local congressman to Trump: Settle the ‘damn case,’ apologize to judge

When it comes to the case against presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his comments about the judge’s Mexican heritage, one local Republican congressman says Trump should just “settle the damn case and apologize to the judge.”

Congressman Steve Chabot, who represents Warren County and Cincinnati, says Trump has “got away with saying a number of really dumb things,” and has to “step up” his game to defeat presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

In a blog post on his campaign web site, Chabot criticized Trump for making U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel's race an issue.

Trump said Curiel can't preside fairly over a case involving Trump University because the judge is of Mexican heritage and Trump wants to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

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Related: GOP insiders fear trump will cost party Hispanic voters

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“I know you want to build a wall and all (so do I), but the guy was born in this Indiana, In this country, we’ve never held where an American citizen was born, or where their parents or their grandparents were born, against them.”

Chabot said Trump may have done nothing wrong, but needs to get the case over with.

“You should have settled this case long ago. As you know, it stems from your involvement in, what seems to me, one of those get-rich-quick deals – this one promising folks that they could learn the secrets of your success in real estate, for the rock bottom price of only $1,500 (to $35,000 for the Gold Elite program.) Lawsuits have been filed against you in New York and California. It’s not clear that legally you’ve done anything wrong, but it looks, well it looks terrible,” Chabot wrote.

Trump says that Republicans who are angry over his comments that a district court judge made a racially-motivated ruling against him should “get over it.”

In an interview with Fox News Tuesday, Trump said that he doesn’t care where the judge comes from, reversing his position.

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In a statement earlier Tuesday, Trump said that his comments were “misconstrued,” but added that based on the ruling he received, he is “justified in questioning” whether he’s received a fair trial.

Asked about those in the Republican Party who refuse to endorse him, Trump said: “it’s okay if they don’t. but they have to get over it, they shouldn’t be so angry for so long.”

Chabot, a conservative Republican, offered Trump this advice:

“Donald, I know it’s not fair. Nobody said it would be. You’ve just got to stay focused on what you’ll do – to make America great again. How you intend to get the economy moving – get Americans back to work. How you’ll cut waste in the government – and what is worth saving, like Social Security, and how you’ll do it. And how you intend to make sure that Americans feel, and are, safe again – whether it’s from illegal immigration, or from ISIS.

Don’t worry about what country a judge’s parents came from. And much as I hate to quote Hillary Clinton, ‘What difference at this point does it make?’”

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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