Judge John Primomo of San Antonio reportedly took the opportunity at a US citizenship ceremony over which he was presiding to tell newly sworn-in citizens that they should leave the US if they can’t accept renegade Republican Donald Trump as their incoming president. ‘I can assure you that whether you voted for him or you did not vote for him, if you are a citizen of the United States, he is your president,’ he said. ‘He will be your president, and if you do not like that, then you need to go to another country.’

Comments ‘not political’

Judge Primomo had been overseeing citizenship ceremonies for more than 30 years and was sworn in more than 100,000 new US citizens. He has since denied that his comments were intended as a political statement, either for or against President-Elect Trump: ‘I was just trying to say something hopeful and unifying and unfortunately it was taken out of context,’ he said. Chief US District Judge Orlando L. Garcia for the Western District of Texas announced on Tuesday that Judge Primomo has been permanently sanctioned from presiding over citizenship ceremonies.

Sources: Wall Street Journal; Fortune