Shapiro Urges Trump To Quit Presidential Race, Apologize to 'Those he Slandered’

Until Donald Trump quits the presidential race "and apologizes to those he slandered," CEA President Gary Shapiro won’t hold meetings at or visit any Trump properties “or even watch any Trump TV show,” Shapiro said Friday in a Facebook posting. “Democrats are giggling with delight as Trump sucks up media attention and gathers support from the least-informed members of the Republican Party,” said Shapiro, who described himself as a onetime fan of Celebrity Apprentice. But Trump “has scant chance of actually winning the Republican nomination,” Shapiro said. “Trump is playing the media and hurting his own party. The media circus he is attracting makes me wish the FCC would consider bringing back the so-called ‘Fairness Doctrine’ requiring broadcasters to give equal time to both sides of an issue.” Shapiro found Trump’s comments about Mexican immigrants “not only racist and disgusting, but also totally untrue,” he said. “My experience with Hispanics is that they are talented and determined, often working two or three jobs to support their families. They do jobs American citizens avoid." For Trump to "disparage" undocumented Hispanics as rapists and murderers was "contemptible and wrong,” Shapiro said. As Americans, Shapiro said, “we can each make a decision to do our part to remove Trump and his racism and inanity from the important political discourse our nation needs in a presidential campaign.” Trump representatives didn’t comment.