Mike Huckabee was asked recently if he thinks Donald Trump is hurting the GOP brand by making bombastic statements about Mexicans and illegal immigration. Many have pointed to the GOP’s tolerance of Trump and his remarks as being indicative of how the rest of the GOP feels, but just isn’t saying.

Comedian Jackie Mason said recently that Trump is showing up the GOP by saying what the rest of them are too scared to say out loud.

“So this guy just saved thousands of lives by the fact that he has such a big mouth and tells the truth,” Jackie Mason said of Trump.

The “truth” Mason speaks of refers to Trump’s statements at his candidacy kickoff.

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” Trump said when he announced his run for president. “They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

Sorry, GOP! You Created #DonaldTrump, Now He’s the Face of Your Party! #uniteblue http://t.co/b9Q9j1CLII pic.twitter.com/AwZhH3oWow

— AlterNet (@AlterNet) July 11, 2015

Is Trump hurting the GOP brand?

“I don’t think so,” Huckabee offers.

Huckabee would like to have “as much attention” as Trump is getting, “because anybody getting that much attention certainly is going to soar in the polls.”

“But I don’t think that people ought to wring their hands that Donald Trump is in there,” Huckabee went on. “He’ll say things differently than most of us, he’ll say things that maybe some of us wouldn’t say, but he has as much right to be on the stage and speak his message as any of us.”

Graham: Trump is 'a wrecking ball' for the GOP http://t.co/gitQkLHFcG

— Washington DC News (@washdcnews) July 12, 2015

Mike Huckabee also spoke about the Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage nationwide.

“Do we let the constitutional authority be superseded by black robes?” Huckabee asked, offering no explanation about the constitutional authority of the judicial branch of government.

CRUZ: “It is a sad moment for the court when you have judges seizing authority that does not belong to them,” http://t.co/XKf2Zn69Yx

— slone (@slone) July 7, 2015

Mike Huckabee does insist that he is in the race to win, not to sell books or get a TV show. In fact, he argues, he left a successful career to get into the race.

“That’s what I walked away from to become President,” Huckabee said. “It’s pretty obvious to anyone following this that I must be serious about becoming President.”

Listening to an NPR story on evangelical pastor learning to be politicians. Because that's what America needs: another Mike Huckabee.

— Bryn Greenwood (@bryngreenwood) July 10, 2015