Speaker of the House Paul Ryan told Donald Trump that he condemned his comments about a judge's Mexican heritage, according to an interview on ABC News'
"Good Morning America."
Ryan told George Stephanopoulos that Trump's comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel not being able to do his job because of his Mexican heritage were "beyond the pale."
"That's not a politically incorrect thing to do. That's just a wrong thing to say," Ryan said, adding that he explained to Trump what he thought of his comments during a private phone call.
"I said it publicly and I said it privately," he said.
The speaker continued that Trump's comments get in the way of Republicans showing that they are a better choice for voters, in order to win the presidency.
"We need to present a clear and compelling choice, so we can earn a mandate from the nation to fix our country's problems," he said. "Hopefully the campaign will move in a better direction so that it can be one we can all be proud of."
Already Ryan is seeing Trump acting more evenly tempered than he does in public appearances.
"In private, I find his temperament to be much better than you see on stage."
Stephanopoulos asked if Ryan believed Trump would make an effective president. He answered, "I believe that he's certainly better than Hillary Clinton."
Republicans should be "inspirational, aspirational, and inclusive," he continued, something he's not seeing from the Trump campaign, "but I hope it gets there."
A Washington Post opinion column said that Ryan may not be able to save the party from Trump.
Writer Paul Waldman said, "You can't secure the party's identity in a sterile lockbox while that party's presidential nominee is tossing sewage everywhere."