Donald Trump appears to have locked up the crucial “people who have been fathered by Donald Trump” vote.
As the presidential candidate weathers controversy over comments he made about Mexican immigrants and Arizona senator John McCain, the business mogul’s children — Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric (pictured above) — are rushing to the old man’s defense.
In a statement provided to People, the Trump kids declare, “Our father, Donald J. Trump is a true visionary and a great mentor.” They also hail him as a “brilliant negotiator with a proven track record of getting things done. Most importantly, he is an incredible dad and role model. He raised us to work hard and strive for excellence in all that we do.”
The statement adds, “We love and respect him very much.”
Others have not been quite so gushing in their descriptions of Trump. “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart weighed in on the tycoon during Monday’s episode, saying that, if Trump were to be elected, he would be “America’s first openly asshole president.”
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, meanwhile, castigated Trump as a “jackass” after the real estate magnate questioned whether McCain — who spent time as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War — is really a war hero. (Trump later publicly released a phone number he claimed belongs to Graham during a televised campaign rally.)
Meanwhile, a host of former Trump partners, including Univision, NBC and Macy’s, have severed ties with the candidate over comments he made about Mexican immigrants earlier this year.