Governor, Colorado Democrats Denounce Trump Remarks On Judge
DENVER (CBS4)- Gov. John Hickenlooper joined other Democrats from around Colorado to denounce what they call racist comments by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Hickenlooper, along with former Denver Mayor Federico Pena, former Colorado Supreme Court Justice Jean Dubofsky, former Denver City Council President Elbra Wedgeworth, state Senate Majority Leader Lucia Guzman and other Democratic leaders, gathered at the state Capitol on Wednesday morning.
They denounced Trump's comments with Hickenlooper saying Colorado has nothing to do with "the racism that Donald Trump spews on a daily basis." They also demanded that Trump apologize.
Trump has said that U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel could not preside fairly over a case involving Trump University because of his Mexican heritage.
Curiel was born in the United States; Trump argues his descent could prejudice his case because he wants to build a wall along the Mexican border.
Dubofsky called Trump's attack unwarranted, un-American and went on to say "If we went judge-shopping based on Trump's criteria, we wouldn't have any judges."
Pena called it a sad day for Colorado and that never in his career has he ever accused a fellow American of being racist-- until now.
"And it's code for the days when a Federico Pena could not be mayor of Denver. It is code for the days when Judge Curiel could not be appointed a federal judge. It is code for the days when you couldn't have Latino state legislators or Latino city council leaders. Those are the old days," said Pena.
Pena made a public demand of Trump, asking that he not only apologize to Judge Curiel but that he also apologize to the American people.