McConnell says Trump 'is not a racist'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says President Donald Trump is "not a racist" after Trump tweeted over the weekend that four congresswomen of color should return to their native countries. All the congresswomen are American citizens.

McConnell said at a news conference today that political rhetoric has gotten "way, way overheated across the political spectrum." He pointed to Democratic comments, saying "we've seen the far left throw accusations of racism at everyone."

He also took a mild swipe at Trump, saying everyone "from the president to the speaker to the freshmen members of the House" should take a lesson from the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who said he attacked ideas, not people.

Pressed by reporters as to whether he thought the president is a racist, McConnell said, "The president is not a racist."