Photo: Dan Herrick/KPA/Zuma Press

Today Donald Trump is continuing his ugly racist attacks on the judge in the fraud lawsuits against his “Trump University” scam, saying Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who was born in Indiana, has “an absolute conflict” because of his “Mexican heritage.”

Donald Trump on Thursday escalated his attacks on the federal judge presiding over civil fraud lawsuits against Trump University, amid criticism from legal observers who say the presumptive GOP presidential  nominee’s comments are an unusual affront on an independent judiciary.

In an interview, Mr. Trump said U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel had “an absolute conflict” in presiding over the litigation given that he was “of Mexican heritage” and a member of a Latino lawyers’ association. Mr. Trump said the background of the judge, who was born in Indiana to Mexican immigrants, was relevant because of his campaign stance against illegal immigration and his pledge to seal the southern U.S. border. “I’m building a wall. It’s an inherent conflict of interest,” Mr. Trump said.