Sen. Dan Sullivan criticizes Donald Trump’s comments on judges

WASHINGTON — Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan said recent racially loaded comments about judges by presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump were "inappropriate" and "wrong," and said his party's standard bearer should focus on the economy instead.

Trump received rebukes from top party leaders this week, which he reportedly dismissed, for asserting U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel should have recused himself from overseeing fraud lawsuits against Trump University because "he's a Mexican." Curiel was born in Indiana; his parents immigrated from Mexico.

[Trump says his comments on Hispanic judge were misconstrued]

Trump said his plans to build a wall on the Mexican border, which he says Mexico will pay for, put him in conflict with the judge. On Sunday, Trump added he also thinks a Muslim judge might not give him a fair trial either, in response to questions from John Dickerson, host of "Face the Nation" on CBS.

"I completely disagree with Mr. Trump on this latest statement regarding the judges, and I certainly hope he retracts his statement," Sullivan said Monday evening after arriving in Washington, D.C., from a congressional delegation trip to Asia. "I think it's inappropriate to say that a judge's racial heritage influences that judge's objectivity. In essence, he's equating ethnicity with bias," Sullivan said.

[Republicans distance themselves from Trump amid attacks on Latino judge]

Sullivan's statement echoed criticisms from House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., who called it the "textbook definition of a racist comment," and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., among others.

Sullivan, who has long said he will support the party's nominee, but has not explicitly endorsed Trump, said he does not agree "with many of Mr. Trump's statements, and some of his policies. And when I disagree, I'll be upfront about it."

Sullivan has a legal background. He earned a law degree at Georgetown University, and clerked or interned at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and the Alaska Supreme Court, and served as Alaska attorney general from 2009 to 2010.

"And I have a lot of experiences working for judges of different backgrounds. And I have never seen that," he said, referring to Trump's accusations of racial bias.

[Sullivan on Sullivan: Alaska senator backs Murkowski in U.S. Senate race]

Some party leaders have urged Trump to steer clear of discussing the troubles of his private enterprises and focus on politics and policy, but Trump has instead pushed supporters to defend the now-defunct Trump University, his for-profit real estate training company. The company is facing several class-action lawsuits brought by former students.

Sullivan said he would prefer if his party's presidential candidate would focus his rhetoric on economic growth.

"That's where he needs to be focusing, on these important topics that are the ones I'm hearing (about) from my constituents," Sullivan said.

On Tuesday afternoon, Trump released a lengthy statement defending his statements and Trump University, but said he does not intend to comment on the matter again.