Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell advised presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to start talking "about the issues that the American people care about — and to start doing it now."
"There are a lot of issues that we ought to be talking about, our nominee ought to be talking about," the Kentucky senator told reporters on Capitol Hill, citing the economy and Obamacare. "We have plenty of issues."
McConnell also called on Trump to "quit attacking various people that you competed with or various minority groups in the country and get on message. He has an opportunity to do that."
The majority leader was referencing Trump's attacks on U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel in San Diego, who is presiding over the civil fraud case involving Trump University. The judge is of Mexican descent.
"This election is eminently winnable," McConnell said. "The American people at their core do not want more four years like the last eight.
"I hope that's what he'll do," he said. "We are all anxious to hear what he may say next."
McConnell's comments followed other Republican leaders blasting Trump for his attacks on Curiel, with House Speaker Paul Ryan saying Tuesday that the developer's remarks should be "absolutely disavowed" and they were the "textbook definition of racist comments."
"I do absolutely disavow his comments,"
Ryan told reporters at a news conference in Washington. "I think they're wrong.
"I don't think they're right-headed — and the thinking behind it is something I don't even personally relate to."
The Wisconsin congressman and 2012 vice presidential candidate endorsed Trump last week after a long delay.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham urged the Republican Party to bolt from Trump and consider rescinding their endorsements if such comments continued.
"This is the most un-American thing from a politician since Joe McCarthy," Graham
told The New York Times. "If anybody was looking for an off-ramp, this is probably it.
"There'll come a time when the love of country will trump hatred of Hillary."
Trump has said that Curiel could not be impartial in lawsuits against Trump University because his parents were born in Mexico and because Trump wants to build a wall along the border.
The billionaire's legal team has not sought a recusal of the jurist.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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