Washington's attorney general slams Trump: 'He’s a bully and he can’t take defeat like a man'

Washington's state attorney general first issued a legal challenge against President Donald Trump's travel ban -- and then he launched a verbal attack against the chief executive.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, condemned the president's attack against a federal judge who blocked an executive order banning travelers from certain majority-Muslim nations.

“He’s a bully and he can’t take defeat like a man," Ferguson told KIRO-FM.

Trump insulted U.S. District Judge James Robart as a "so-called judge" in a tweet, and suggested the federal judge's "ridiculous" ruling -- and the justice system, in general -- should be blamed for future terrorist attacks.

“Calling a federal judge — whatever you think of their decision — a ‘so-called judge,’ it’s insulting to our system of government, the judiciary,” Ferguson said. “It’s not right and frankly, the president is on an island with comments like that.”

The state attorney general said Trump's executive order violates constitutional protections ensuring freedom of religion.

“One cannot favor one religion over another, and President Trump was crystal clear when he was a candidate for office that he wanted a Muslim ban,” Ferguson said. “As recently as a few days ago, Mayor (Rudy) Giuliani went on the news to say ‘Yeah, the president called me to put together a Muslim ban, but find a way to do it legally.’ That’s not how it works.”

The executive order does not specify any religions, but Ferguson said the intent was clear.

“One does not have to say overtly on an executive order or on a law that you’re going to be discriminating against someone,” he said.

Ferguson said he was deeply disturbed that the White House argued that the executive order and the reasoning behind it shouldn't even be questioned.

“That is not the law and frankly, it cannot be the law in our country," he said.