Warren to keep up assault on White House hopeful Trump over judge comments

By Alana Wise

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren will keep up her assault on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Thursday in a strongly worded speech labeling Trump a racist and accusing the Republican Party of fostering his intolerance.

“Donald Trump chose racism as his weapon, but his aim is exactly the same as the rest of the Republicans,” Warren will say in remarks to be delivered at a Washington meeting of the American Constitution Society, a liberal group.

Warren, a fiery critic of Wall Street, is a favorite among liberals as a possible running mate for Hillary Clinton, who this week became the presumptive Democratic nominee for the Nov. 8 presidential election.

Trump has drawn strong criticism, including from some Republican leaders, for his attacks on Mexican-American U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is overseeing fraud lawsuits against his now defunct real estate training school.

The Republican candidate has accused Curiel, an American born in Indiana, of having an inherent bias against him because of his heritage and Trump’s campaign pledges on curbing illegal immigration, such as building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Judge Curiel is one of countless American patriots who has spent decades quietly serving his country, sometimes at great risk to his own life,” Warren will say. “Donald Trump is a loud, nasty, thin-skinned fraud who has never risked anything for anyone and serves nobody but himself.”

Thursday’s remarks will be just the latest in a war of words between Trump and Warren.

Trump has dubbed Warren “goofy,” and often taunts her on the campaign trail, while Warren has branded Trump a “loser” and last month tweeted that his “record is embarrassing.”

Reuters reported on Wednesday that Warren will soon endorse Clinton, after months of remaining neutral in the Democratic primary battle between Clinton and her challenger from the left, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. Warren has considered the idea of serving as Clinton’s running mate although she sees obstacles to that choice, sources said.

(Reporting by Alana Wise; Editing by Frances Kerry)