Rep. Chip Roy, Texas Republican, became the first GOP lawmaker to criticize President Trump’s comments calling on several female freshman Democratic House members to go back to the countries they came from.

Mr. Trump “was wrong to say any American citizen, whether in Congress or not, has any ‘home’ besides the U.S.,” Mr. Roy tweeted late Sunday night.

But he added, “I just as strongly believe non-citizens who abuse our immigration laws should be sent home immediately, & Reps who refuse to defend America should be sent home 11/2020,” a reference to Election Day.

Democrats have accused Mr. Trump of racism for his tweets that were apparently aimed at Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a native of Somalia, and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. All are U.S. citizens. Republican lawmakers have been so far silent on the matter.

In an appearance on “Fox & Friends” on Monday, Mr. Roy said the president is “right” to be confronting the liberal House women over their opposition to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

“My radical leftist colleagues in the House, they need to go home, they need to be sent home, and I’m glad the president is taking them on,” Mr. Roy said. “The president is right to take them on, and we should make sure the American people know that that is the face of the Democratic Party. That is who needs to be sent home in 2020.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said he spoke with Mr. Trump after the tweets and urged him to tone down his rhetoric.

“Mr. President, you’re going to win. Just knock it down a notch,” Mr. Graham said on “Fox & Friends.”

He said the president needs to “aim higher” when talking about the liberal House Democrats.

“Talk about their policies,” Mr. Graham said, as if speaking directly to Mr. Trump. “They’re American citizens that are duly elected that are running on an agenda that’s disgusting. They’re anti-Semitic. They’re Socialist. Make them the face of the Democratic Party. They are American citizens. They won an election. You’re right about their policies. Just aim higher. Don’t get personal. Don’t take the bait. They’re on the wrong side of the future.”

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