Poll shows 'racist' comments about federal judge hurt Trump in Florida, Ohio

Voters in three presidential battleground states have delivered a stinging verdict on Donald Trump's comments about a Mexican-American judge.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday found presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton making gains against the Republican real estate mogul in two of the three swing states considered key to determining the presidency.

And some of that could be attributable to Trump's recent attacks on Indiana-born Gonzalo Curiel, the federal judge in Southern California presiding over a class-action fraud lawsuit against former Trump University, said Peter Brown, the poll's assistant director. A sizable majority in each of the three states — Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania — say Trump's comments were "racist."

Clinton leads Trump 47%-39% among Florida voters, up from the 1-point advantage (43%-42%) she held last month in the same poll — before Trump spent several days going after Curiel in speeches and interviews.

The new poll also showed Trump's 4-point lead has vanished in Ohio. It was 43%-39% Trump last month, compared with 40%-40% in the latest poll. Little has changed in Pennsylvania. The former first lady is up 43%-42% in the new poll, compared with 42%-41% last month — both statistical ties.

Trump criticized Curiel, whose parents emigrated from Mexico, months ago. But he stepped up those broadsides in late May after clinching the nomination. Among the criticisms, Trump said the judge is biased against him and should recuse himself from the fraud case because the billionaire wants to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

Nearly six in 10 voters in each of the three states deemed that "racist," compared to about one-third who did not, the poll found. That hurts Trump in states with high Hispanic populations like the Sunshine State, Brown said.

“It is Hillary Clinton’s best state and perhaps Donald Trump’s toughest lift," Brown said of Florida. "One reason might be Florida has a larger Hispanic population than the other two states, and Trump has clashed with Hispanic leaders over some of his remarks."

Since 1960, no candidate has won the presidential race without taking at least two of the three states.