Trump Pulls the “Friend Card” in Defending Racist Comments About Mexican-American Judge

Statement from Daniela Ramirez, Assistant Director of Latino Media, Planned Parenthood Action Fund:

“Really, Trump? For someone who is so concerned about the so-called ‘woman card,’ Donald Trump just pulled the ultimate racist defense, the ‘friend card.’ Trump claims that because he has allegedly ‘thousands’ of friends, or in his case, employees, of “Mexican heritage,” it’s not possible for him to be racist. I have news for Donald Trump: all of your actions indicate otherwise.

“This is not the first time Trump has said something blatantly racist about the Mexican-American community. He has referred to Mexicans as drug dealers and rapists, and yes, has called for a wall to be built between Mexico and the United States. In the next breath, he is claiming that he does not 'feel that one’s heritage makes them incapable of being impartial.’ It is clear that Trump only believes that a judge can be impartial when their identity more closely resembles his own.

“The policy implications of Trump’s racism are terrifying. The next President will appoint a number of judges, including the next Supreme Court Justice. Under a Trump presidency, Mexican Americans, Muslim Americans, and women would be altogether off the table. How can you give Americans a fair trial if entire swaths of people are disqualified from making decisions? This is not the kind of America we would like to see.”