The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee on Wednesday called out Politico's Editor-in-Chief John Harris for what she called an "offensive" remark he made on Twitter that appeared to suggest the GOP had been taken over by white supremacists.

"This offensive statement from the head of Politico is another example of why distrust in the media is at an all-time high," McDaniel said Wednesday in a statement she posted to Twitter.

Earlier in the day, political scientists Larry Sabato had posted his own tweet that featured a link to a news story headlined, "White nationalist leader wants to 'take over the GOP.'"

Harris highlighted the story in a tweet, and added the comment, "Thought that job had been filled....."

After some critics on Twitter complained about Harris's tweet, he wrote in another tweet that he had merely intended his comment as a "quip" or "wisecrack" about NBC's headline.

Politico spokesman Brad Dayspring told the Washington Examiner in an email Wednesday that Harris's tweet was "misconstrued" and that it was intended to point out that "there is currently no prospect of anyone taking over the Republican Party from its current leader — President Trump."

Republicans have long complained that the national news media helps Democrats spread stories that the GOP is sexist and racist. Republicans have complained in recent weeks that Democrats and the media conspired together to label Republicans as anti-woman during the Senate hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

[Also read: Trump: Press is 'part of the Democratic Party']

