President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE's allies and critics sparred Sunday over his record on racial issues and his responsibility for a chant that broke out at his rally targeting a minority congresswoman.

At the same time Trump, exactly one week after the first round of tweets targeting four progressive Democratic representatives ignited a firestorm of criticism, re-upped his attacks on Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOn The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline McCarthy says there will be a peaceful transition if Biden wins Anxious Democrats amp up pressure for vote on COVID-19 aid MORE (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar Ilhan OmarOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Democrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise MORE (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley Ayanna PressleyFauci, Black Lives Matter founders included on Time's 100 Most Influential People list Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Pressley applauded on House floor after moving speech on living with alopecia MORE (D-Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib Rashida Harbi TlaibTrump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' George Conway: 'Trump is like a practical joke that got out of hand' Pelosi endorses Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary challenge MORE (D-Mich.).

"I don’t believe the four Congresswomen are capable of loving our Country," Trump tweeted. He also demanded they apologize to America and Israel for unspecified “horrible (hateful) things they have said.”

I don’t believe the four Congresswomen are capable of loving our Country. They should apologize to America (and Israel) for the horrible (hateful) things they have said. They are destroying the Democrat Party, but are weak & insecure people who can never destroy our great Nation! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 21, 2019

Trump's allies took to the Sunday talk shows to defend not only his actions over the past week but also his record on race.

"If you want to have a colorblind society, it means you can criticize immigration policy, you can criticize people's views, you can ask questions about where they're born and not have it be seen as racial," Stephen Miller Stephen MillerSpecial counsel investigating DeVos for potential Hatch Act violation: report Trump confirms another White House staffer tested positive for COVID-19 Biden pick creates furor, underscoring bitterness over Obama immigration policy MORE, a top White House aide and Trump speechwriter, told Fox’s Chris Wallace.

Wallace countered, "Can you also say, 'Go back where you came from'?"

ADVERTISEMENT

When Miller pointed to Trump’s disavowal the next day of the chants of "send her back" aimed at Omar, Wallace noted Trump had allowed the chant to continue at the time.

The rally was held three days after the initial tweets last Sunday, in which Trump told the four congresswomen of color to "go back" to the "crime infested places" they came from. All four are U.S. citizens and all but Omar were born in the U.S.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney Elizabeth (Liz) Lynn CheneyGOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power Graham vows GOP will accept election results after Trump comments Liz Cheney promises peaceful transfer of power: 'Fundamental to the survival of our Republic' MORE (R-Wyo.) also defended Trump’s attacks on the congresswomen’s patriotism, saying that while the chant was “inappropriate,” it was unrelated to race, gender or religion.

"These members of the House of Representatives — it’s not just these four — fundamentally believe in policies that are dangerous for this nation, and as Republicans we’re going to fight against those," she said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Former White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp echoed Trump himself, disavowing the chants but defending the rally attendees, saying Trump “stands with those people in North Carolina, across the country who support him.”

Both Schlapp and Miller also pointed to low African American unemployment as evidence of Trump's policies benefiting people of color.

Democrats, meanwhile, blasted Trump’s comments and the chants on the Sunday morning talk shows. Sen. Cory Booker Cory Anthony Booker3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.) said on both CBS’ “Face the Nation” and CNN’s “State of the Union” that Trump was “worse than a racist.”

“He is actually using racist tropes and racial language for political gains, trying to use this as a weapon to divide our nation against itself,” Booker told “State of the Union” guest host Dana Bash Dana BashTrump says officials will investigate whether California is using 1619 Project in classrooms Veterans Affairs secretary defends Trump: 'I judge a man by his actions' GOP senator dismisses national intelligence director election security briefings: 'This is blown way out of proportion' MORE.

House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffSchiff claims DHS is blocking whistleblower's access to records before testimony GOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power Rubio on peaceful transfer of power: 'We will have a legitimate & fair election' MORE (D-Calif.) also took aim at Trump and called the attacks part of a political strategy.

“I think tragically the president has decided racism is good politics," Schiff said on CBS's "Face The Nation."

House Oversight Committee Chair Elijah Cummings Elijah Eugene CummingsBlack GOP candidate accuses Behar of wearing black face in heated interview Overnight Health Care: US won't join global coronavirus vaccine initiative | Federal panel lays out initial priorities for COVID-19 vaccine distribution | NIH panel: 'Insufficient data' to show treatment touted by Trump works House Oversight Democrats to subpoena AbbVie in drug pricing probe MORE (D-Md.) said on ABC’s “This Week” that the tweets left "no doubt” that Trump was a racist.

“I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt but when I think about what he said to these young ladies who are merely trying to bring excellence to government … when I hear those things it takes me back” to the 1960s, Cummings said, adding he heard similar rhetoric when attempting to integrate a neighborhood swimming pool.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock Steve BullockMcConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency Pence seeks to boost Daines in critical Montana Senate race MORE (D), who has made his potential appeal to red states central to his presidential campaign, said that while he did not agree with all of the congresswomen’s political views, “any parent, any preacher, knows that telling four duly elected congresswomen to go back home, it's racist."

Bullock added that the approximately 13 seconds Trump allowed the rally chant to continue before he began speaking again were “going to be a stain on this presidency.”