Conservatives fed up with press over Trump questions
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By SUSAN FERRECHIO • 6/9/16 3:12 PM
Republican lawmakers are getting fed up with the press asking about Trump's flaws as a candidate.
Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, a leading lawmaker among the most conservative House faction, accused the press Thursday of giving Hillary Clinton and President Obama a pass while hammering Donald Trump for objectionable campaign trail comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel.
"I do find it curious that you go after Trump on this issue and yet you have absolutely no problem when Obama pointed his finger at Supreme Court justices in a State of the Union address, and he tried to embarrass them in one of the most disgusting acts I have seen him do," Labrador said, referring to Obama's 2010 speech denouncing a Supreme Court ruling overturning campaign finance laws.
Earlier this week, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. told reporters they are using a different standard to cover Clinton than they are using for Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
When a reporter asked Burr about Trump's attacks against the judge, who is of Mexican descent and is overseeing a lawsuit against Trump University, Burr accused the press of keeping the story alive.
"You guys have chosen to continue to drive it and drive it and drive it," Burr said. "That's your prerogative but we can only answer these questions one time. The answer is the same through and through."
When a reporter told Burr it was Trump who kept the story alive by continuing to attack Curiel, Burr pointed to regular revelations about the federal investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state.
"If that were the threshold, then you would still be asking Hillary Clinton about the emails," said Burr, who is chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. "There's the key thing. When you guys are hounding her to the degree you are hounding [Trump] on this, it'll be a fair fight."
At a monthly press event with conservatives hosted by the Heritage Foundation, reporters peppered the lawmakers with questions about Trump and his attacks on Curiel.
After a series of questions about Trump and whether conservatives could support him, Labrador accused reporters of ignoring the flaws of Clinton and former President Bill Clinton. Labrador pointed to millions of dollars the Clintons have earned since leaving office and the connection between the wealth of the Clinton Foundation and Clinton's tenure as secretary of state.
Labrador also pointed to unproven accusations that Bill Clinton has sexually assaulted women. The press never ask if lawmakers can continue supporting her despite these potential flaws, Labrador told reporters.
"Looking at the life of Hillary Clinton and everything she has done to enrich herself, the horrible lifestyle her husband had," Labrador said. "Is every person who votes for Hillary Clinton endorsing her enabling him in his disgusting acts he made as a human being? I don't think so."
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