(CNN) As President Donald Trump faced allegations of racism and cruelty on Tuesday, his press secretary stepped to the White House podium to deny only one of those charges.

Briefing reporters for the first time in weeks, Sarah Sanders insisted Trump was not using racially coded language when he disparaged a disgruntled former aide, who is African-American, as a "dog."

But her defense -- that Trump has insulted people of all races, not just African-Americans -- only underscored how the President and his aides have embraced his caustic attitude.

"The President's an equal opportunity person that calls things like he sees it," Sanders said. "He fights fire with fire."

The explanation came amid a string of defenses against charges made in Omarosa Manigault Newman's new memoir, "Unhinged," which portrays the President as racist and lewd.

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