Paul Ryan criticises Donald Trump day after endorsing him

The newly minted detente between Donald Trump and the highest-ranking elected Republican Paul Ryan hit a rocky patch just a day after the US House of Representatives speaker endorsed the White House hopeful.

Mr Ryan, who agreed to support Mr Trump for US president weeks after saying he was not ready to back him, denounced the businessman’s comments questioning the “Mexican heritage” of a US federal judge who is presiding over a fraud case involving Trump University.

Mr Trump has said that US district judge Gonzalo Curiel’s “Mexican heritage” presented a conflict in presiding over a case about whether the businessman’s university defrauded former students by charging them tens of thousands of dollars for classes with unqualified teachers.

"It's reasoning I don't relate to. I completely disagree with the thinking behind that," Mr Ryan told a TV station in his home state of Wisconsin.

Mr Trump has been criticised for his personally charged and racially tinged comments about the judge whom he has called “a hater”.

"I'm building a wall. It's an inherent conflict of interest," the businessman told the Wall Street Journal, referring to his proposal to build a wall along the Mexican border.

Traded barbs

The presumptive Republican nominee and his likely Democratic opponent in November’s White House election, Hillary Clinton, traded barbs again on Friday as they continued to campaign in

California

ahead of the state’s primary on Tuesday, the final day of contests in the Republican race and the penultimate day of primaries and caucuses in the Democratic primary.

"I believe absolutely that he is not only unprepared to be president, he is temperamentally unfit," Mrs Clinton said at an event in Culver City, sharing a stage with Hollywood actors Sally Field and Elizabeth Banks.

There was an awkward moment during the campaign event as Mrs Clinton’s podium fell as she was joined on stage by the film stars.

Mr Trump hit back over Mrs Clinton’s speech on Thursday, tweeting on Friday: “In Crooked Hillary’s teleprompter speech yesterday, she made up things that I said or believe but have no basis in fact. Not honest!”

Violent scenes

The businessman praised the supporters who attended his rally in San José, California on Thursday night and made no reference to the violent scenes between Trump protesters and supporters afterwards.

“Rally last night in San José was great. Tremendous love and enthusiasm in the hall. Big crowd. Outside, a small group of thugs burned [an American] flag!” he tweeted.

One Trump supporter was struck with an egg and another was hit in the head with an object as demonstrators waved Mexican flags and protesters changed “F*** Donald Trump” amid scenes that police struggled to contain.