Krauthammer’s Take: Trump’s ‘Menacing’ of the Judiciary Is Worrying to Conservatives

Charles Kruathammer explains the consequences of Donald Trump’s comments about the judge in the Trump University case being of “Mexican heritage.”

There are two disturbing elements in this. The first has to do with ethnicity, the other has to do with respect for the constitutional structure.

About ethnicity: You call a guy a Mexican who’s an American citizen — born here, raised here — because of Mexican heritage. Imagine if he were to say, ‘he’s biased against me because he’s a Jew or because he’s black.’ You can’t do that in this country.

The larger issue, apart from that, is a presidential candidate ranting against a sitting judge because of a private case, and the implication that there will be retaliation. We have had a quarter of a millennium [in the United States] where the executive has respected the independence of the judiciary — criticizing is one thing, but this idea of menacing it [is something else].

Here is an attack on the judiciary and I think that is what a lot of people — conservatives as well — are reacting to. And worrying about what Trump would do if he were president.