A city council member in North Carolina has doubled down on a controversial statement declaring supporters of President Trump have “no place” in Charlotte’s government.

Charlotte City Council member Dimple Ajmera, a Democrat running for an at-large seat in the council, said during a recent WCNC discussion that any supporters of the president or his “cronies” should “be voted out of our council.”

“Look at all our Republicans that are supporting Trump, I think they should have no place on city council whatsoever or the mayor’s race,” she said.

Ms. Ajmera’s comments riled members of a local Republican group, who are planning to stage a sit-in protest at a city council meeting on Monday.

Ms. Ajmera defended her views in a statement released by her campaign Tuesday.

“The Ajmera Campaign strongly reiterates its position that President Trump’s negative agenda of petty divisiveness, disrespect of women, his harsh and dangerous policies against minorities, immigrants, the sick and disabled runs absolutely counter to the values that we need [to] solve the issues of economic mobility for all people, public safety and improved infrastructure,” the statement said. “We have full and absolute faith in the voters of Charlotte that rejected ‘Trump Values’ in near totality in 2016. If the 2017 City Council race is a referendum on Trump’s values, then we accept that challenge.”

“I stand by my words,” Ms. Ajmera added in a WCNC interview. “Trump is very divisive and negative.”

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