Gary Johnson, running with former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld on the Libertarian ticket, hopes to qualify for the presidential debates in the fall. Gary Johnson: Trump 'racist'

Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson continued his criticism of Donald Trump's inflammatory rhetoric on Sunday, labeling it "racist."

The former New Mexico governor was reacting to Trump's promise to "look into" replacing Transportation Security Administration employees who wear hijabs with military veterans after a woman asked him about in New Hampshire last week.


"He has said 100 things that would disqualify anyone else from running for president but doesn't seem to affect him," Johnson said on CNN's "State of the Union," adding: "That statement in and of itself, it's racist."

Asked whether he thinks Trump himself is racist, Johnson said he is.

"Based on his statements, clearly," Johnson said, saying that Mexican immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens. "The stuff he's saying is just incendiary."

Johnson, running with former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld on the Libertarian ticket, hopes to qualify for the presidential debates in the fall by earning support from at least 15 percent of respondents in polls.