Donald Trump issued a statement Tuesday clarifying his racially tinged comments about the federal judge hearing the Trump University case after a call from Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.
In the phone call, Priebus was "imploring Trump to walk the comments back,"
Politico reports, quoting a source "with knowledge of the conversation."
The statement also "follows several days of pleas from campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his allies, who counseled Trump to eschew attacks on Judge Gonzalo Curiel," Politico reports.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee had planned to "double down" on the attacks — after Trump's consultation with Corey Lewandowski — but he "shifted course after the call with Priebus," according to the report.
Priebus is trying to "broker a stronger relationship between the presumptive Republican nominee and the party establishment," Politico reports.
In the statement, Trump said that "it is unfortunate that my comments have been misconstrued as a categorical attack against people of Mexican heritage.
"I feel justified in questioning whether I am receiving a fair trial."
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