Paul Ryan: Donald Trump's A Racist But Better Than Hillary Clinton

The Republican Party, including its elected and non-elected leaders, has determined that there's something worse than backing a presidential candidate who spews "textbook" racist comments. Her name is Hillary Clinton.

Paul Ryan, the U.S. Speaker of the House and arguably the most powerful elected GOP official out there, condemned the racism Tuesday but continued to bless the racist with his endorsement.

All of this involves Trump's verbal attacks against a judge — who the Republican nominee said was unqualified to hear a case against him because he's Mexican — that Ryan agreed were bad, yes, very bad. In fact, Ryan went as far as to use the R word.

A bit of textbook racism, though, is apparently not a disqualifier when it comes to the GOP's zest for the White House.

Ryan said the racist will still get his endorsement for president of a country that is 37 percent nonwhite and trending rapidly toward even more diversity.

"I believe we have more common ground on the policy issues of the day, and we have more likelihood of having our policies enacted with him than we do with her," Ryan said.

Paul Ryan: Donald Trump's judge comment is "the textbook definition of a racist comment" https://t.co/cuR3m6t5qm https://t.co/3TwAdeyk9U
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 7, 2016

Ryan and Trump are not at odds over a tax plan specific or foreign policy strategy. They are at odds over in-your-face racism that Trump is telling his surrogates to continue to hammer home in the media and elsewhere.

And he still won't let Trump go. All in the name of "agenda."

"I do believe that if the alternative is Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, I know for certain that Hillary Clinton's not going to work with us on this agenda," Ryan told Fox News' Brian Kilmeade later in the day, after he had a few minutes to think about it.

"I do know that he is going to work with us to take these principles and these policies and make them law," he added. "And I know for certain that Hillary Clinton will not do that."

You could call it Paul Ryan Gymnastics — roundly reject whatever Trump is saying but still support him for president because your constituents do.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — another powerful elected Republican leader — later issued some salient advice in response to Trump's racism: "Stop it."

And at least one elected Republican showed the fortitude to disavow Trump over his racism. Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk announced that, "I cannot and will not support my party's nominee for President regardless of the political impact on my candidacy or the Republican Party" following Trump's comments.

Kirk is wheelchair-bound, a result of a stroke he suffered in 2012. Back in November, Trump openly mocked a reporter who has congenital joint condition.

And Trump? You know, the guy this whole thing is about. He doesn't appear ready to listen to these guys any time soon.

In a statement, he said, "My comments have been misconstrued as a categorical attack against people of Mexican heritage."

It continued: "I do not feel that one’s heritage makes them incapable of being impartial, but, based on the rulings that I have received in the Trump University civil case, I feel justified in questioning whether I am receiving a fair trial."

Of course, in an interview last week with the New York Times, he said that Gonzalo P. Curiel's heritage was specifically the issue.

“I’m building the wall, I’m building the wall," he said last week. "I have a Mexican judge. He’s of Mexican heritage. He should have recused himself, not only for that, for other things.”

Image credit: Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore, Flickr