Speaker Paul Ryan: Trump’s attack on judge ‘like the textbook definition of a racist comment’

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan’s attempt Tuesday to roll out an anti-poverty plan was quickly overshadowed by Donald Trump’s impolitic assault on an American-born judge’s Mexican heritage.

“Claiming a person can’t do their job because of their race is sort of like the textbook definition of a racist comment,” Ryan told reporters in an African American neighborhood of Washington, where he unveiled the first part of a new GOP policy agenda.

Ryan, who reluctantly endorsed Trump last week, acknowledged that such outbursts from the presumptive GOP presidential nominee “undercut” the “better-way agenda” Republicans in Congress are trying to present to voters.

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On Monday, Trump continued his attacks against U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is overseeing a fraud lawsuit against the now-defunct Trump University. Trump said the Indiana-born judge is bias because his parents were Mexican immigrants and Trump has proposed building a wall along the Mexican border to stop illegal immigration.

Though Ryan and most other GOP leaders have condemned Trump’s remark, the House speaker said Republicans had better a chance of getting GOP goals enacted into law with Trump in the White House than with Democrat Hillary Clinton, and that he was “confident” Trump was on board with most of his goals.

“We have more common ground on the policy issues of the day, and we have more likelihood of getting our policies enacted with him than with her,” Ryan said.

Ryan said he has also talked with Trump about the “tone” the candidate uses on the campaign trail.

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The “better-way agenda” -- once dubbed the “Confident America” project -- is intended to present a series of ideas that Republicans can campaign on this fall.

Ryan said he has had “extensive” conversations about the agenda with Trump.

Notably missing from the policy list are proposals on immigration and trade -- two areas where Ryan and Trump disagree.

The poverty agenda is in many ways a retread of past Ryan budgets -- emphasizing work requirements before the poor can gain welfare benefits.

Next up is a defense policy agenda, scheduled to be released Thursday, followed by proposals on healthcare and taxes.

But Ryan has struggled to corral rank-and-file Republicans for a common agenda, and there is no guarantee any of the proposals can be passed by his House majority.

Moreover, Senate Republicans have shown little enthusiasm for the effort.

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