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Republican Senator Mark Kirk No Longer Supports Donald Trump for President


Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth’s campaign asks Kirk, “what took so long.”

Senator Mark Kirk

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—June 7, 2016.  Senator Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) announced today that he “cannot and will not support” Donald Trump as the GOP’s nominee for president.  Senator Kirk is withdrawing his support for Trump as a result of the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee’s repeated attacks on U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel which is overseeing the litigation against Trump University.

Trump believes that Curiel has a conflict of interest in presiding over the case because he is of “Mexican heritage” and a member of a Latino lawyers’ association.  Judge Curiel was born in Indiana.  His parents are Mexican immigrants.

In a statement, Senator Kirk said:

“While I oppose the Democratic nominee, Donald Trump’s latest statements, in context with past attacks on Hispanics, women and the disabled like me, make it certain that I cannot and will not support my party’s nominee for president regardless of the political impact on my candidacy or the Republican Party. It is absolutely essential that we are guided by a commander-in-chief with a responsible and proper temperament, discretion and judgment. Our president must be fit to command the most powerful military the world has ever seen, including an arsenal of thousands of nuclear weapons. After much consideration, I have concluded that Donald Trump has not demonstrated the temperament necessary to assume the greatest office in the world.”

Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth

Matt McGrath, deputy campaign manager for Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth who is Senator Kirk’s Democratic challenger, issued the following statement in reaction to Kirk’s announcement:

“What took so long? Apparently for Mark Kirk, it’s acceptable to refer to Mexicans as rapists; to propose banning Muslims from entering the country; to call women fat pigs and dogs; to mock a reporter’s disability; and to insult just about everyone who doesn’t look like Donald Trump. Until today, and for nearly a year, Kirk was fine with all of that, and even saw a ‘net benefit’ in Trump’s campaign, and offered himself up as a potential adviser. Yesterday, Tammy Duckworth called Senator Kirk’s silence in the face of Trump’s bigotry a betrayal, and we’re standing by our statement.”


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