Sen. Kirk, Gov’s Rauner and Pence React To Trump Comments

Illinois Republican U-S Senator Mark Kirk says he will not be supporting Donald Trump for president, in response to his comments about a federal judge of Mexican heritage. Tuesday's statement is a reversal for Kirk, one of the most endangered Republican incumbents, who has said previously he would support Trump.

In his statement, Kirk says Trump's "belief that an American-born judge of Mexican descent is incapable of fairly presiding over his case is not only dead wrong, it is un-American."

Kirk’s opponent - U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth - has repeatedly tried to link Kirk to Trump.  Duckworth had stepped up criticism of Kirk for not denouncing Trump.'

Gonzalo Curiel is a U.S. District Court Judge in San Diego, and he’s presiding over a lawsuit involving Trump University.  Trump says Curiel can’t be impartial because he’s Mexican, even though the judge was born and raised in East Chicago, Indiana, right outside Chicago.

Gov. Bruce Rauner said Tuesday he's "disgusted" by Trump's comments.  In a statement, Rauner says Trump's remarks "do not reflect the values of America" or the Republican party.

Speaking to reporters in Indianapolis today, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence also took aim at Trump’s comments.

"Of course I think those comments were inappropriate," he said.  "I don’t think it’s ever appropriate to question the partiality of a judge based on their ethnic background."

Republican Indiana U.S. Senator Dan Coats also criticized Trump.

Coats says he and Curiel are both graduates of Indiana University’s Law School and are sons of immigrant parents.