Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) on Monday called on his fellow Republicans to condemn a series of tweets from 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 in which he told a group of Democratic congresswomen that they should "go back" to the countries they came from.

"What @realDonaldTrump said about Democrat women in Congress is deplorable and beneath the dignity of the office," Kasich, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, tweeted.

"We all, including Republicans, need to speak out against these kinds of comments that do nothing more than divide us and create deep animosity — maybe even hatred," he added.

"At the base of America is a Jewish and Christian tradition that says that we must realize that we are all brothers and sisters," he tweeted in a subsequent post. "Rhetoric like the President’s works against that foundation of our country and all that we teach our children."

At the base of America is a Jewish and Christian tradition that says that we must realize that we are all brothers and sisters. Rhetoric like the President’s works against that foundation of our country and all that we teach our children. — John Kasich (@JohnKasich) July 15, 2019

Trump in a set of tweets Sunday targeted an unidentified group of progressive congresswomen "who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe."

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In the tweets, which seemed to be directed at Reps. 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.), 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.) 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.) and 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.), the president suggested they "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came."

All four of the freshman congresswomen are U.S. citizens, and only Omar, who came to the U.S. as a refugee from Somalia, was born in another country.

While Democrats have widely condemned the attacks on the first-year lawmakers as racist, the majority of Republicans have remained silent.

Rep. Andy Harris Andrew (Andy) Peter HarrisCongressman who denounced mask wearing overseeing the trial of a drug to treat COVID-19 Pelosi must go — the House is in dire need of new leadership Ukraine language in GOP platform underscores Trump tensions MORE (R-Md.) defended Trump's tweets Monday morning, arguing the comments are "obviously not racist."

"Well, ask the president what he meant by it, but clearly it's not a racist comment. He could have meant go back to the district they came from, to the neighborhood they came from," Harris told a Baltimore radio station, despite Trump specifying "countries" in his tweets.

Kasich, who did not label the tweets racist, has been a frequent critic of Trump's and previously weighed launching a primary challenge in 2020 but later backed down, saying “there is no path right now for me.”

Updated at 11:47 a.m.