Republican presidential aspirant Donald Trump said in a statement earlier this week that a Mexican or a Muslim judge taking over his University case should not be permitted as judges with such races or religious affiliation will be biased. Now, the GOP presumptive nominee has said his comments were "misconstrued."

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After facing a backlash and possibly hurting his chances for a White House bid, the real estate mogul has said that his comments about federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel were misinterpreted. Trump noted that he does not believe one's heritage will make them incapable of being impartial.

Trump said it is unfortunate that his comments have been misinterpreted as a "categorical attack against people of Mexican heritage." He pointed out that he is friends with and employs thousands of Mexican and Hispanic people.

Trump explained that legal issues in a civil case are normally heard in a neutral environment. However, in his case, given that he is the nominee for the Republican Party and his campaign centers on illegal immigration, jobs, and unfair trade, he feels that he will not receive a fair trial. He ended his statement noting that he will no longer comment on the matter.

In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump also explained that did not directly attack Curiel. He shared, "I don't care if the judge is Mexican or not. All I want him to do is give me a fair shake," he said.

Many Republican officials had openly criticized Trump's earlier comments about Curiel.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, who recently announced that he will be supporting Trump, said that he thinks the real estate mogul's statements are wrong and that Muslim judges are unacceptable. Republican Senator Mark Kirk also said on Tuesday that Trump does not have the temperament to hold the job of a president and he will not support the New York businessman.

Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham called on Republicans to re-evaluate their support for Trump noting that if he maintains his attacks on the judiciary system, he is dishonoring his supporters. 

Tagsdonald trump, Mexican judge, Muslim judge, Trump University lawsuit, fair trial, misconstrued comments, Judge Gonzalo Curiel, Presidential elections 2016